Did you hear about Kicky?
by code name baron
Summary: Kim's life forever changes after one grainy photo. But it's another grainy photo that makes it all OK. - AU, so much AU. Jack gets a break in the entertainment industry, but is not how Kim becomes a household name.
1. Chapter 1

Kim was sitting at the lunch table picking at her food. The usual Wasabi gang was around her and Jack was busy with his phone. This was the norm now. Ever since the movie.

Karate Games didn't go anywhere, but someone somewhere saw the raw footage that was already made and it lead to Jack taking a small role of the younger version of the main character in an action movie. It was not that huge of a break, but it lead to some serious exposure in the media and Jack was becoming more popular among the younger crowd. Critics were complimentary of his work, and his costars praised his attitude. Of course, his martial arts skills spoke for themselves.

This is why he was on the phone now. No doubt discussing auditions or some such. His enthusiasm was contagious and Kim was happy for him. At first, Jack was uncomfortable, because he felt like Kim, too, should have had the same opportunity. But Kim was more interested in singing and it really wasn't Jack's fault there were no action heroines, who needed someone to play the younger them.

Her attention was called when she saw that Jack was scowling at his phone.

"Bad news?" She asked her friend and crush. Yes, it was a crush. Possibly even more. Ever since the almost kiss at the end of the Karate Games, Kim and Jack were hovering on the edge of something more than friends. It was strange that neither of them made a move. Kim was convinced that Jack made some sort of decision some time after the movie not to change the status quo.

Still, whether he decided to stay just friends or not, he was physically constantly present. He stuck close to her and was fairly tactile, which hasn't made her crush any easier to resist.

"Yeah, just some nut job. How did he get my phone number?" Jack was frustrated.

"Well, to an inquiring and equipped mind it is not that difficult," Milton piped in.

"You mean a nerd can figure it out quickly?" Kim added with an indulgent smile.

"Yes, Kim. Jack, you should scrub you digital spaces to make sure you don't leave clues about your more personal information. I can do it for you," Milton was excited.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt. It's just this guy or guys are kind of intense..." Jack looked genuinely perplexed.

"Oh, Jack. The rule of the internet comments is that if it can get any worse and dirtier it will. Just be grateful you are not a girl," Kim could add a whole tirade here, but she refrained. She didn't want Jack to worry about her.

"Why do you say that? Did something happen?" Predictably Jack was immediately concerned. See, that's why Kim doesn't tell him about any of her issues. He gets invested, involved, concerned. It's great, but his obvious affection was making it nearly impossible to ignore the crush.

He wouldn't like to know that most of Kim's knowledge about meanness on Internet came from the comments by Jack's fans about her. She was not exactly well-known, but there was an interview once, where Jack mentioned his Wasabi friends. He was pressed for details, but dodged any specific questions. Still, the interviewer asked him if there were only guys in his group and Jack was proud to tell them that one of his best friends was a girl, who was also a black belt. She was not named at all. But, being the only girl mentioned, there was natural curiosity and allusions about them. Jack laughed it off, but the seed was planted. And now Kim, or rather the unnamed and mysterious black belt girl friend, had certain 'fans' that liked to help her become better by pointing out all her flaws. everything at this point was only a speculation, but it did not stop both positive and very vicious commentary. For every 'kudos, girl power, go black belt girls,' there were at least ten times 'bitch, slut, hanger-on.'

On a good day Kim laughed it off, feeling like it really wasn't about her, since no one outside the school knew her identity. On the bad days she was a little insecure and sometimes even scared by the vitriol directed at her.

Still, it did not matter. As far as she was concerned it was all just part of her friend's new life.

* * *

Jack was irritated with his agent. He kept getting scripts for romantic stories that were too much of a chick flick for him. It could be alright, but he was a martial artist first. He wanted another project that would showcase his skills. Like any teenage boy he wanted action, maybe some drama, little angst, and no romance.

As it is he made a couple of guest appearances on popular teen shows to drum up the support for the movie among the young audience. His roles were basically him showing off his martial arts skills and, as a promotional stunt for the movie, it worked. Although, he only been on screen for a total of maybe fifteen minutes in the movie and those teen shows appearances, but he already got girl fans. That bunch was intense. He was not sure being in a love story would improve the situation. They did not hound him in real life yet, but during promotions he got the taste of it. His 'fame' was nothing compared to his costars and he was shocked and kind of scared of it.

The main actor was constantly photographed, asked questions everywhere he went, and interviewers were always pushing for any scrap of personal information. Especially the romantic kind. Seeing this made Jack weary of starting anything with Kim.

He can admit to himself that he was falling for his friend. He wouldn't be able to pin-point when and where exactly it happened (his mind would supply treacherously that it happened the moment he saw her), but she came to mean a lot. He already loved her as a close friend, had a crush on her for a while, and, now that they were seventeen, he had another reason to be madly taken with her.

It wasn't so much the random paparazzi he was worried about. His brush with fame exposed a lot of ugliness and envy among his acquaintances. People were vicious. To him, to his parents, to his friends. Kim thought he didn't know about the crap that circulated in various social media about her, but he knew. Oh, he wished he could confront all the online bullies...

He wanted to be with her, but was also afraid of what would happen if the word got out that they were together. He imagined that the viciousness would only multiply if she were known as his girlfriend.

And then there was this crazy hater that kept bugging him. He started receiving increasingly deranged, hateful messages, soon after he started filming the movie. It grew worse in the last year it took the movie to be completed and released. Now, that it became a hit, his stalker was becoming more insane.

The most recent messages made Jack actually worry about safety of himself and his friends and family. He tried to stick closer to them and it only made his situation with Kim worse. The close proximity was making it difficult for him to stick to his plan and stay strictly friends. Already they had several moments this past month, where they would lock eyes, start moving closer and only sheer willpower stopped them from kissing.

They were at the dojo and after a sparring match, where he took her down and pinned her to the floor, and it happened again. The pull of attraction between them was so strong, they nearly made out forgetting that they had an audience. Jerry shouted something about his eyes, Rudy said _not in my dojo_ , and Milton told them that gravity between the two bodies propels them to move closer together. Kim laughed awkwardly and said that she liked that kind of science and then blushed something fierce.

They all continued the practice, although Rudy put Kim with Milton, but Kim felt the space between her and Jack grow heavier and more charged. Memories of all the near kisses were never too far from her mind and she was afraid to look at Jack lest she say or do something.

The rest of the practice hasn't made it better. Their friends and sensei threw weighted looks at the two of them and it made everything worse. The moment Rudy called it a day, she bolted to the locker room, grateful that she did not have to share it with anyone.

She was almost done, when she heard a knock on the door. It Jack and Kim flushed again from being close to him and quite alone.

Jack was silent for a little while, pacing back and forth. He finally stopped in front of Kim.

"Kim, I don't think we should start anything right now." Jack blurted out in a rush and Kim would have almost laughed at his awkwardness, but she could not draw a breath. It was stolen when she realized he turned her, them, down.

She stood there frozen by shock and acute misery, only slightly aware that she still wasn't breathing. When her lungs started to burn, she finally - noisily - gulped much needs air. Jacks face showed the usual concern and affection and Kim could not stand it at all. She abruptly turned away and managed a faint _OK._

She was still turned away from Jack when she heard, "I think I owe you an explanation."

"No you don't!" she practically shouted. "I get it. You don't have to explain yourself to me. No means no and I am OK with that. We're good." Just go away, Jack, she plead in her head.

But Jack plowed through.

"I right now attract a lot of weird and negative attention. I know about online trolls that go after you. And they are like that when we are only friends. It will only be worse of we are more. I... I can't do that to you," he says determinedly. "I don't want to drag anyone, but especially you, into that."

"Um," she said. What's a girl supposed to say to that? Can she insist that she doesn't care? That she'd take trolls on like she took on any number of idiots during their adventures. But she knew this face. It was Jack's 'hero' face, when he got a plan and an idea and nothing can sway him.

He laughed awkwardly. "I just didn't want you to think it was you. Because it isn't."

At least she wasn't the only one feeling all this attraction.

Kim waited until Jack left the locker room before she let out a loud breath, "What. The. Hell."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I feel like i should apologize for this story. The premise is so trite that I am embarrassed. But, this plot bunny wouldn't go away no matter how much I ignored it. Read at your own risk.

They went on like that conversation in the locker room didn't happen. Just like they went on all the other time they nearly kissed or said something to each other.

Kim had plenty of experience ignoring her crush on Jack. She had a routine.

Right after the conversation she binged on ice cream and sappy movies. Once she reached sugar over saturation and dehydration from crying, she collapsed exhausted into an uneasy sleep haunted by images of herself running either towards something unseen, but very bright, or running away from a large animal that she could never make out. She pretty much hated her subconsciousness sometimes.

She refused to wallow. She would not mope after romantic disappointment like her friends from the cheer squad. Kim is a strong independent woman. Who doesn't feel insecure.

Especially not about keeping a guy or, even worse, being turned down by a boy she likes. She is fine and great. She is cool with it.

She is! She does karate and cheerleading; has best friends who are boys and girls; she cannot dance, but she can sing; she is not afraid to look silly and can rock a pretty dress like the best of the pageant contestants. She can hang. And her silly crush on Jack Brewer is just a nuisance. She can ignore it.

Her mind betrays her sometimes and tells her that swallowing her emotions would only lead to a spectacular eruption in the most undignified manner. It's like a volcano of ignored feelings inside that makes her feel nauseous and lightheaded.

All and all she hated when she felt like this: like there was a promise between her and Jack, which he somehow broke. That's why she usually ignored her feelings until they are buried so deep, it's like they disappeared. Not what an adjusted adult would recommend, but she is teen, she doesn't always listen to adults.

These days, sitting in the lunch room watching Jack flirt with every girls in school, the possibility of erupting all over the Formica table in the cafeteria becomes more and more real. Kim could already taste the vomit at the back of her throat.

To be honest, Kim was ashamed of her own jealousy; her crush on the Jack didn't entitle her to anything. But watching him and his local fans made her want to stab herself in the eyes.

After the pity party for herself, she concentrated on everything else in her life. Kim had friends other than Wasabis, so she tried to stick to them. She volunteered in the hospital and the animal shelter. She had kept to her usual schedule of cheer practices and vocal lessons.

She was busy. She was not avoiding Jack. But if she made sure there was always someone with them at all times to minimize the time they spent alone, who could blame her?

The times they spent together she reminded herself that he was just another teen boy, like Jerry, who was sometimes dense, sometimes immature, often times disgusting and she wouldn't care about him as much if he was a little less attractive. It wasn't true, but it helped Kim to remember to be less shallow.

* * *

Jack's appearances in two popular teen shows made him a lot more recognizable and he was in the talks to be the lead in a project involving action or martial arts.

There was a lot more interest in him now and he was seemingly proved right. Some of the attention was very negative.

Throughout this all Jack was infuriating: he was just like always, like he hadn't put them on hold indefinitely, like it wasn't bothering him. He was tactile as usual, often touching some part of her during chats. He stuck close to her, looming tall and large, when she talked to others or was distracted by books, phone, or school work. He practically appointed himself to be her crossing guard/driver and routinely picked and dropped her off. And always, always, staring intently and longingly. His mixed messages were giving her a massive headache.

Truthfully, Kim was thrilled to see this. He liked her, her wanted to be with her, he cared. But part of her knew that it was going to hurt more in the end. The way things were didn't stop their feelings, but he had to come to this conclusion himself.

* * *

Jack was cursing his own luck and noble nature. He wanted to be with Kim. He wanted to finally kiss her.

But the creeps were still out there and he saw first hand the sort of attention and scrutiny girls get in media. He wanted to protect Kim. As long as he reminded himself that he could withstand all the tension between them.

Their dojo was participating in a tournament in LA and Jack was relishing the chance to be a normal karate loving kid. Kim was getting sharper in her routines and he expected her to win spectacularly. He knew she was hurt and mad at him right now, he kind of hated himself too, but he felt that it was better this way.

The tournament began as usual and both Milton and Jerry had a great showing and soon it was Kim's turn. She was incredible: sharp, fast, controlled, powerful. She dominated her matches and won easily.

Moments like this he knew that he was long past the point of crush or even simply falling for Kim. He was already deep under water and this girl held his heart in her hands.

When his turn came Jack was focused and prepared. His opponents matched him well and the fights were exciting. Jack wouldn't say it out loud, but the staging of the action scenes in the movie bothered him. He did his own stunts, but director called cut enough times that there was no fluidity to the actual fight.

He won and as usual Kim was the first one to reach him with a big hug. She must have realized what she was doing and tried to move away, but Jack held on. He noticed the lack of physical contact that she initiated and relished this moment a little too long. He straightened from the slight crouch and lifted Kim cleanly in the air. She laughed and awkwardly patted him on his back to get him to drop her. He loosened his hold and she slid down his front and it was the most amazing and awkward thing ever.

They sprang back embarrassed. Jack coughed; Kim blushed; Milton rolled his eyes; and Jerry muttered something along the lines of _amigos, que nada_.

* * *

The Wasabi Warriors were celebrating their overall good performance and after the meal they decided to explore the area around their hotel. Jack and Jerry went checking motorcycle store and Kim joined Milton at the music shop. She felt like she needed to put space between herself and Jack again after that hug fiasco. Besides, Milton was circumspect and would not say anything gross to her like Jerry would.

This was a relatively small place, but it had a surprising variety of instruments. Kim was browsing the sheet music, while Milton stuck to the horn section. Kim was ready to go when she turned the aisle and stumbled into someone. She almost lost her balance, when another person took hold of her by her elbows to steady her. She looked up and froze for a moment.

It was Ricky. He was taller, his frame changed from a boyish beanpole into that of a young man. He was still slender, but it looked more wiry, than skinny. She could see multiple tattoos on the visible parts of his arms. He dropped his phone in a shuffle and Kim could hear someone's voice demand that Ricky cut the crap.

"You should probably finish that conversation," Kim said, wondering if he remembered her at all.

"I'd rather talk to you, Kim. Even with a chance of you throwing me into the wall you are a better company than my manager."

Well, that answers the question whether he remembered her.

"Still, you don't want to be rude," Kim waived her hand and it dislodged Ricky's hold on her. He let go, but did not go after his phone. Instead he held her gaze and was studying her.

"You have grown even more beautiful. Do you still do karate?"

Kim nodded and looked away, uncomfortable with his scrutiny.

"Beautiful and strong. Just like I remember..." He trailed of and Kim sneaked a look at him. He was was still staring and Kim was ready to bolt. The tension was broken when his phone rang. She motioned at it, and he went to pick up the phone and Kim tried to slink off. Before she could finish turning away, Ricky called her. "Hold on a second... Kim, I was hoping to have a chat with you? Can you wait?" he looked expectantly and Kim was honest to god tempted.

Still, she shook her head no and said softly, "I don't think so. You haven't changed, if one to believe the press. Neither have I. Bye Ricky." She turned and left the store, spying Milton outside through the window.

They were back at the hotel in no time and left to go home.

Kim and Jack shared the backseat and maybe because she ran into Ricky, but Kim was reminded yet again that Jack was one of the best guys she knew.

She was not wrong about Ricky. He stayed popular and dated some high profile people. It seemed that he went through several girlfriends and, if stories were to be believed, routinely cheated on them all. Kim wasn't surprised. Meeting him left her wistful. She wondered about what ifs and maybes, but she was sure that fame wouldn't change Jack drastically. He was fundamentally a good guy.

She could not have known that one of the few customers in the music shop recognized Ricky and took a few snaps of him on the phone. She certainly did not know that he took pictures while they collided and held onto each other. She could not have imagined that the guy went on to take pictures while she was half turned away and finishing her short conversation with Ricky.

No.

Kim was blissfully unaware that her life of relative anonymity was going to end soon.

* * *

The entry on Ricky's fan site less than two hours later with embedded grainy pictures of Ricky holding hands and being generally very touchy-feely with a mystery blonde read as follows:

 ** _Ricky's Pics from LA: Date or Fan?_**

The speculations went everywhere form the "definitely a fan" to "there is definitely something going on" to "this is who he left Helena for?" to "she's his type" to "ugh, she's ugly."

The fans went on like this for a while and it would have calmed down, but someone tweeted the picture of the two of them with Ricky's hands on Kim's and the two looking at each other with a hashtag #weaverwoman #newlovericky #whoisshe. Overnight that tweet was retweeted multiple times, slowly gaining steam.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So, this is my third story and I am guessing not that many people liked as the first two. I am not sure if it is the wekaness of the plot or the writing. Some feedback would be great.

* * *

Kim went on about her life unaware of the brewing storm of public interest. She was somewhat lucky that the grainy photos of her were blurry enough that one can only make out the general shape of her body and blonde hair. Beyond that her features were indistinguishable and only if one knew it was her, would they be able to recognize her.

TMZ picked up the story from the fan site and run the pictures on their website with cheeky headline of "Ricky Is Refused!" with a subtitle of "First look at his secret girl crush."

 _We got the scoop on the notorious trouble magnet pop-star. He was trying to stay low and was out and about in a quaint music shop. But that is not the big news. He was spotted with a mystery blonde! It would have been good to see him recover after the latest break-up; however, eye witness confirms that Ricky was asking a girl for a date, but the mysterious girl is made of sterner stuff than most of us and tuned him down. Official statements are of course unavailable at this moment. But seeing these two, we can all believe that stars are just like us and sometimes they fall for regular people and even can be turned down._

Apparently TMZ talked to the guy, who took the pictures and heard part of the conversation, where Kim told Ricky she would not talk to him because he hasn't changed.

Of all this Kim was unaware.

So, not surprisingly, when she first heard girls talking about Ricky and his new love interest, she brushed it off. That is until Grace showed her the fan site and a picture was in front of her.

Kim had a moment of cognitive dissonance.

Cold sweat run down her back when she realized what happened. She was kind of panicking and went to zoom in on the picture with shaking hands. Some part of her noted distractedly that she looked good in her skinnies and a layered top. She looked at Grace from the corner of her eye, suspicion clouding her mind: was Grace just testing her?

"You know, he must have a type. All the girls he's been with are blondes," Grace commented airily and Kim's heart thudded in her chest uncomfortably.

"Yeah, I guess so. But is it confirmed that she is his love interest? Who is she?" Kim managed to bleat out of her suddenly dry mouth.

"Well, no and no idea. They speculate that she is his new girl, because he asked her out and because he broke up with Helena. And just... look at them. Holding hands and being all lovey-dovey..." Grace trailed off looking at the picture again.

"Are you sure? They could just be strangers that bumped into each other and he held her to prevent her from falling," Kim knew she should drop the subject and move on to something less dangerous, but part of her wanted to get the facts right.

"Yeah, right. That's why he is trying to stop her from leaving."

"What? Stop from leaving?" Kim was horrified. What if they got the picture of her with Milton? Good god, that would be the kicker. Then her identity would be known to the people of Seaford High.

"Look at this," Grace swiped on the pictures and to Kim's relief there no pictures of her with Milton, but there was where she was walking away and Ricky was looking at her retreating back. She knew the real story here, that is there was no story, but the pictures looked so compelling and she could see how everyone would assume that there was some sort of romantic background there.

"Well, you know what they say: innocent until proven guilty. So, in this case, they are not dating until it is confirmed," Kim was proud how she ended the conversation. It was the truth.

"Why, Kim? I didn't know you still cared about Ricky."

"What? I don't! I just thought that the pictures could be of anything really..." she stopped herself seeing the knowing look in Grace's eye. The lady doth protest too much.

"Uh-huh... Sure. So, see you at practice?" Grace moved on and Kim was grateful to drop the subject.

* * *

Kim kept quiet about photos hoping that the issue would die, when there is no further information or news about Ricky and his mystery blonde. There bound to be some other scandal from some other celebrity. Or a royal. Or a politician. Right?!

There was no official statement from Ricky's camp for two days and the story grew in retelling.

InTouch reprinted the screen grabs of the origin tweet and ran the story.

 _Ricky wants to stay away from the drama of a high-profile romance. The girl he is after is an ordinary person, unconnected to the entertainment industry. A source close to the singer tells us that the fact that girl turned him down only made his interest that much stronger. He vowed to find the girl and to woo her. Here is to Ricky hoping that he succeeds._

Commentary on various fansites ran wild and everyone was speculating about the blonde girl and whether she was worth the effort of chasing after her.

It was quiet for another couple of days and Kim began relaxing a little bit. Then one afternoon Kim arrived at the dojo with Jack at her side as usual. They were greeted with a hyperventilating Rudy, who rushed to Kim's side and started pulling her by her arm to his office. "Come. Come quickly. They have been waiting for you."

"Who's they? Would you stop that!" Kim pulled away from Rudy and stopped in the middle of the dojo.

"Kim. These are serious people. Its Ricky and his manager," Rudy whispered the last part his face and eyes comically animated.

"Why would they want to talk to Kim?" Jack was scowling, but Kim's stomach dropped to her feet and she felt light-headed.

This was bad! Why were they here? What did they want? And now she has to tell everyone about the pictures...

"So, Milton and I were in the shop in LA and I sort of run into Ricky. We just exchanged awkward hellos/goodbyes and that's it. But someone took pictures of us and now there is press coverage of it..." Kim rushed out to explain in one breath and stopped to look at Jack.

"That's it?" Rudy suddenly looked deflated.

"Oh..." was Jack's contribution. "Why are they here then? His camp just has to deny any rumours and stories, right?"

"I have not clue, but I don't like it. Nothing good comes from interacting with that guy." Kim was now sure that it was universe's punishment for flipping Ricky that one time.

"Well, you should go and find out. Want me to come along?" Jack offered and Kim melted as usual at the show of his care and concern.

"Nah, you kind of pissed him off last time. But Rudy should come with me just in case: I am a minor and he is my sensei." Rudy preened and together he and Kim went into his office.

Ricky was sprawled on the couch fiddling with his phone, but jumped up when Kim and Rudy entered. There were two bodyguards standing by the door. Ricky's manager was in the middle of the office, pacing and furiously typing on his tablet. He looked up at them and frowned deeply.

"Right, I was expecting Kim only," he glared at Rudy, who shrank a little at such hostility.

"I am a minor. Rudy stays." Kim was right; she already disliked this situation.

"Minor?!" the manager turned to face Ricky fully, "Are you insane? Are you trying to get yourself in more trouble? Hooking up with a minor?" He fairly shouted.

"I did not hook up with anyone. Why are you here, Ricky?" Kim had enough of this guy ignoring her, so she decided to return the favor.

"Well, the pictures came out. The rumours began. This is damage control," Ricky was lazy and unaffected.

"All you have to do is to say that there is no romance or story. What happened with simple denial? And why are you here for the damage control? You could have done it from anywhere." Kim was not sure, but she had a suspicion as to where it was going.

"Told you she is smart," Ricky was smirking at his manager, who dropped his intimidation tactic and turned to Kim with a wide smile. It was disturbing how fake it looked. Just like his teeth. And tan. And really, pretty much everything about this man.

"Hello, my name is Steven. I am Ricky's manager. Pleased to meet you Kim Crawford of Tennessee and, lately, of Seaford." Kim almost laughed. Was this guy intimidating her by showing off how much her knew about her?

"I am sure you are. What can I do for you gentlemen?" Kim could always rely on being polite in face of fakeness and hostility.

"Well, I was not sure that my plan would work, seeing as you are a minor, but, on second thought, it would be even better. Ricky's turning the new leaf, being clean and wooing an ordinary girl, waiting until the right time with the right girl. You are like the stand-in for every fangirl he has. Simple, young, all-American, girl next door..."

"One-dimensional and a liar." Kim added to his rhapsody of a spin.

"What?" Steven was a little perplexed and Ricky just laughed outright.

"Steven, I am not interested in being anyone's love interest. I am not interested in pretending to be anyone's love interest or a redemption arc. And I am certainly not interested in doing it with a celebrity. And, no offense to Ricky, I am not interested in him," Kim said firmly and let it sink for a little.

"But, you'd be famous... And we can pay you for this..." Steven was definitely perplexed now.

"Not interested and am not for sale."

"I told you it was a bad idea. Kim is not like other girls. Always has been." Ricky sounded a little wistful, "I wish I knew that when I met her first."

Kim looked at him sharply and he smiled a little at her, for once not smirking or acting disaffected. He looked... tired. Maybe a little too sad for a famous and rich person, who had the world at his feet. For a second, Kim had a feeling that he was both pleased that she was refusing this scheme and upset, because maybe, just maybe, he thought she might be something to him, someone he needed.

Steven, like a hound dog who sensed blood, looked at Ricky then her and his gaze was calculating. "You sure Kim? It does not have to be a lie."

"It would be. I have feelings for someone else." Kim was avoiding looking at Ricky, but still saw that his expression fell a little and he chuckled unhappily.

"I think I can guess who that it. Well, he is a lucky guy to have a girlfriend like you."

"I am not dating right now, Ricky, but yes, it is him."

"Why not? All this time... I am sure he feels the same way about you. If he hasn't figured out what a wonderful girl you are, he does not deserve you."

"Unfortunately for me, he sort of agrees with you right now. He thinks he would complicate my life too much. He is wrong of course, but here we are." Kim thought the irony of her talking to Ricky about the complications that fame brings to the relationship was unprecedented.

Ricky nodded and then turned to his manager, "Steve, lets go. I told it was a bust. Now you know this too." He started going out the door, his bodyguards falling in line behind him.

"So, Steven, you will issue a denial about pictures?" Kim pressed.

"Yeah, sure. No problem." He was typing again and then announced, "It's done. It should start hitting the news soon. Officially we only say that the reports are untrue and that should suffice. We don't to deny too hard or with too many details. People might get wrong ideas."

Steven was talking and walking and by this point the group was almost by the door. Ricky gave a small nod to Jack, who wearily returned it. Milton and Jerry stared at the procession with obvious curiosity.

Kim stopped and turned to Steven. "Thank you the denial."

She turned to Ricky, "Good luck, Ricky. I believe this is a good bye."

He stood there and looked at her for a second. He then leaned in and whispered, "You turned out even prettier than I imagined. And you haven't changed a bit. Still the stubborn, amazing girl, who does not take crap from others. You shouldn't take any crap from him either. And if you ever change your mind, let me know.

With a wink he and his entourage left and left the Wasabi Warriors looking after them.


	4. Chapter 4

There was a moment of silence after Ricky and Co. left. Soon enough Rudy turned around and went to his office, "I'll be just here if any stars and managers are coming to talk to any of you."

Milton and Jerry started talking simultaneously.

"Oh, chica, you got the Weaver back here. What'd he want?" came from Jerry, while Milton said, "I would like to know what happened that he is back here again."

They paused obviously waiting for an answer, but neither Kim nor Jack were talking.

After Ricky left and she absorbed his parting whisper, Kim slowly turned around ready to face all the questions.

Of course, what she immediately saw was Jack's face and that shot her plan to all hell because he was looking at her with some impossibly pained mixture of longing and jealousy and, oh god, she simply couldn't at that moment. She was back at the same place with all her ignored emotions dangerously close to the surface. _How does Jack do it to her every time without even trying?_ Every single time.

"Hey," she said, awkwardly frozen in place a few feet just inside the doorway to the dojo.

He was standing in the middle of the mats with a bo staff in hand, looking literally ready for battle.

"Hey," he replied anxiously, stock still, and looking like he had no idea what the thing in his hands was for.

There was another long silent moment, which was ridiculous because they have so much to talk about right now. But they didn't. They just sort of… _stared_ at each other. And in some ways it was a conversation all on its own. His eyes were practically telegraphing _How are you_ and _What did he want_ and _What is going to happen now_ and _I'm sorry_ and _I like you_ and _I'll protect you_ and _Please_ and she couldn't even breathe under the weight of all the emotions that Jack apparently was ignoring as well.

"I'm gonna go… see if I can find an edible food item at Phil's," Milton said as he walked towards the door dragging Jerry with him by the arm.

"Wait, Milton, where are we going?"

"Somewhere without all the tension. Trust me it is better for us all to leave them to it." Milton whispered harshly, but it was loud enough that Kim heard it.

There's another awkward silence after they left. It was just Kim and Jack and all the ignored feelings between them.

Kim distractedly thought that this was the quiet before the storm. What this moment needed was a swell of the music or maybe some crickets because this was getting so pointed and dramatic. Really, how did they manage this level of melodrama with just a _hey_ and a glance.

"So…" she said finally going for a nonchalant approach, "I was offered to become a fake girlfriend."

Jack's face immediately contorted into a grimace of anger and jealousy and Kim would just laugh, if she hadn't felt like her volcano was about to erupt.

"What? Why? ...No, I get why. What did you say?" he said with a bit of a wince. "I mean you are free to do whatever you want and I-"

She cut him off immediately. She might not know precisely what he was about to say, but she knew the hero tone.

"Don't," she ordered with a warning look.

"I just-"

"Oh my _God_ , Jack, what part of 'don't' didn't you understand? You don't get to brood or be jealous about this. Or, okay, that's not fair," she corrected. "You can brood if you need to or be jealous, but I'm going to take offense because a girl needs a life too, and she can't have it if her number one choice for a guy is all hot and cold, and says no and then acts jealous about others in her life. It's not fair to me! And I am selfish right now! And you are an idiot! I was just offered to be in a relationship with a mega-star. And he was kind of sincere. And no, I did not even consider it for a moment because I am an idiot as well and can't turn off my feelings. And I really shouldn't be saying that to you, and, oh my god, I would need so much ice cream after this is over. Pleas, just shut up Kim..." her tirade was interrupted when Jack pulled her to him and kissed her.

They stood like this in a tight embrace, kissing like they weren't in the middle of the dojo.

Kim's brain shut off for a moment and all she could do is feel. The skin of Jack's lips were a little chapped, but underneath his lips were soft and supple. He moved confidently and she had a brief moment of curiosity as to where he learned it all, but then he slipped his tongue in and all coherent thoughts stopped altogether. Everywhere they touched the sparks of something amazing were igniting, she was tingly and warm, and Jack's arms were so strong and secure around her and his tongue, oh, his tongue...

They finally parted when Kim's lungs started to burn and she pulled away to breathe and noticed with satisfaction that Jack's mouth chased after hers. He peppered small kissed on her lips and face and finally moved them to her ear, "I can't turn off my feelings either. I am an idiot, but you like me and I will take that."

"What do you mean?" Kim looked at him warily not sure what he meant by that.

"I stupidly thought that I would be protecting you if we remained friends only, but maybe I was looking at it backwards. Maybe I should trust you to know what you want and not to be intimidated by circumstances. Maybe 'safe' and 'easy' are overrated and unrewarding... I was making us both miserable."

"How miserable?" Kim was curious and wanted Jack on the record about his coping ways, because she blurted it all out first.

"Well, I did not eat ice cream, but let's just say that my bo staff routines and upper body muscle tone thank you for being so attractive and amazing."

"Oh... Just how strong is your upper body?" Kim asked cheekily and then squeaked when Jack lifted her easily with one hand and used another to move her leg around his torso. She got the message and wrapped her legs around him and they proceeded to kiss some more in this new position, with Jack's hands holding her up.

They only stopped when Rudy came out of his office and shouted "Not in my dojo!"

The two teens just laughed and left holding hands.

* * *

They went to an ice cream shop and Jack goofily asked her which flavor were the "Jack is the idiot" flavors and insisted he needed to eat them in penance.

"So, are we dating now?" Kim asked after a couple of chilled and chocolate flavored kisses.

"Yes. Or do you always go around kissing guys like that?" Jack had playfully asked her.

"I don't. Normally. But you never asked..." Kim drawled with a smile.

"See, I am an idiot. Would you be my girlfriend?" now Jack's face was soft and open.

"...Yes."

"Why the pause, Kim?"

"Well, I am not sure. I just thought that we should wait a little to become public about it," Kim said and then, seeing Jack's expression, rushed to finish. "Because of the pictures fiasco with Ricky, wouldn't you rather wait to make sure everything is settled and no one connected me to the mystery blonde?"

"What does it matter even if they do? You were not dating him or me, so it should be OK."

"Yes, it should be, but it all can be twisted like a love triangle or used to paint me as a gold-digger and a fame whore. I mean I don't mind it, I think, but you are the rising star. Would you want that to be the focus of the media or your actual work?" Kim wasn't sure what she was suggesting exactly. It felt horribly like the time Jack put them on hold.

"Kim, I get what you are saying, but I am not hiding you or our relationship, OK?" there he was again, hero with a plan.

"OK."

* * *

 **Access Hollywood blurb:**

Hello, this is Billy Bush. So the story of the day is that Ricky Weaver's camp officially denied any rumours about his secret lover. We all have seen those photos, and if Weaver's PR team is to be believed, there is nothing going on between him and the mystery blonde. This is a first word we got on this story from either party. Interestingly, the denial did not come right away and Weaver's team waited full four days before issuing denials. It certainly raises questions, but, without further information, we can only speculate.

In other Ricky related news, he was recently at the town of Seaford, CA, to visit a fan in a local hospital.

 **Moderator Post – Re: Mystery Blonde**

This is a reminder that this forum is for fans to appreciate and discuss our favorite singer. We understand the natural curiosity, but we are here to remind every user that discussion of his love life is not an appropriate topic. We've all seen those photos. We also heard the official word from Ricky's PR team. Let us repeat: THERE IS NO TRUTH TO THE STORIES. Let's just hope he's happy, that's all that matters. Further discussion on this will be deleted without comment.

Fan exchanges:

rw4ever: they are hiding. I bet shes a celebrity too.

weavermagic: if she is, why not go public? more press for her.

rw4ever: not if shes w/ smone else now.

weavermagic: you think she cheated?

rw4ever: mb not, mb she's like tempted or smth. if it was me, i'd choose Ricky.

weavermagic: yeah, you would. all of us would.

rw4ever: i know. did you see his new tats and hair style? i mean...


	5. Chapter 5

Despite the monumental change in Kim and Jack's relationship, on the outside they appeared the same with only added kissing. The first time the rest of Wasabis saw them lip-lock, Milton raised his eyes heavenward and mouthed _Thank you God_ , while Jerry wolf-whistled. Rudy took Jack to the his office for a talk and Jack emerged from it beet red and muttering about TMI.

Their friends in school shrugged the news off as the long time coming and went on about their lives like nothing has changed. There was some murmurs from girls about Kim snagging a popular and somewhat famous boy, while some guys were simply happy that Jack was no longer in a competition with them. Even the hardest of critics could not deny that Kick was simply inevitable. Jack had just marveled at this own worry-wart nature that had him imagining the horrors of public dating. So far everything was good and he was kind of grateful that those pictures with Ricky forced the situation, because he was happily in a relationship with Kim.

It was glorious. Jack cursed himself out again again for being an idiot and staying away from her on his own volition. All the times he physically stopped himself from touching her like he wanted to: hold her hands, circle her waist, grab her hip to pull her close, to run the finger down her neck, to follow the path of his finger with his lips. All of this he was now free to do and it. was. awesome.

What he did not account for is the level of physical desire that mired him at all times. It was like some sort of craven monster that got awoken and he was battling the need to be physically close to Kim. Everything about her was calling to him and he was at times helpless to resist. As if he already wasn't slightly crazy about this girl, he now had a new reason to long for her. And she was just as passionate about him. Already they had to stop kissing in the school parking lot as it lead to one of the more memorable make-outs sessions in his memory.

It started as usual with a kiss that progressed quickly and at some point he pulled her into his lap over the center console. When Kim was straddling him his hands catalogued all the dips and rivets of her body above him, slender and tiny but strong and soft, her lips like candied apples, sweet and red, her hair fell around them like a curtain and he forgot the world around them. She touched his chest and shoulders, moved her hands to his hair pulling on long strands and, when he groaned at the sensation, she dropped her mouth to his neck. His right hand dropped to her waist and he slowly dragged his fingers under her top and her skin was the softest of silks. He could feel the goosebumps that formed where he touched and he smirked, because he did that. His smirk faded quickly when she bit lightly at the juncture of his neck and shoulder and desire rushed through him so fast like a flame eating the thinnest of the paper. He breathed harshly and pleaded quietly, "Kim, please..." He was not sure what he was begging for, but one way or another it had to stop. Kim heard his plea - and probably felt his problem - and fairly threw herself off his lap and hit her head on the back view mirror in her scramble to get off him. She was blushing fire engine red and was breathing deeply to calm herself.

"We can't do that in the parking lots," she whispered and Jack could only chuckle in agreement.

His dreams turned more erotic now that he knew how Kim's kisses tasted and how she felt when he hugged and touched her curves, and in his dreams they didn't stop.

* * *

He and Kim traveled for his auditions for the new show that he was supposed to headline. The setup was fairly simple: the main protagonist was a troubled teen, who finds focus and passion in martial arts, but his past catches up with him and he is besieged by the conflict between his past associates and the new friends. He liked the concept and absolutely loved the notion of using his considerable martial arts skills in the new project. The project was still in planning stage and his auditions were more of a conversation with producers and writers. The rest of the time was spent exploring LA with Kim and enjoying their new relationship and all the things it meant.

There was a blurb on one of sites that focused on the entertainment industry gossips and he was mentioned as a possible lead in a young adult oriented project. The piece rehashed the known facts about Jack and posted a candid picture of him leaving the studio with Kim in tow. The piece did not mention Kim other than to state that he was with 'a friend.' They were holding hands and looking at each while walking. There was a soft smile on Jack's face as he looked down at Kim. All you could see was her profile as she turned her head up to him, smiling widely. Both of them though looked impossibly in love. There were a few comments under the blurb speculating that she was his girlfriend, but it was his fans who ran with the pictures and conjectures. Some even figured that she must be the black belt that Jack was friends with.

Still most of the attention was removed from Jack and Kim's everyday life and they existed in the bubble of normalcy that was their home and school life.

The only thing that bothered Jack was the unknown hater, who continued to bug him on his social media and phone. Milton did a good job scrubbing everything to get rid of too personal of details, but this particular guy already had Jack's phone number the messages kept oncoming. They now promised some vague retribution for something that Jack presumably did to this guy. Milton was good at the clean up, but not quite as good at tracing the hater. Not willing to be a worry-wart again, Jack promised himself to seek help only if this guy made an overt threat to him or his loved ones.

* * *

There was no more news about the 'mystery blonde' and the topic was deemed too old and and uninteresting to be widely discussed. Ricky made several appearances at the clubs, surrounded by a large entourage and it was impossible to determine whether there was anyone in particular that he was with. Most people assumed that he was back to his partying ways and only a few still held on to the notion of a secret romance and attribute this current behavior to the cover-up efforts.

This particular camp got an unexpected additional clue from Ricky himself. He made an appearance at a charity event, where he surprised the audience and sang a new, previously unheard of, song with acoustic guitar. The song, though not officially named, was dubbed In My Dreams. It was a departure from his usual peppy sound. It was somber and haunting, lyrics talking about a love lost long ago. The refrain of the song with words "in my dreams you're always near, your words of love are on your lips, you won't let go of my spirits and, you come, you come and you haunt me." The event was live-blogged and many fans in the audience were twitting live. The video for the performance was set on the website of the charity group and it veritably crushed the site.

It set the internet of fire. Twitter was blowing up with praise, and admiration. Everyone agreed that it was one of the better of Ricky's appearances and the song was so beautiful it quickly reached over million views and counting. People were curious about the song: was it a cover; was it original; who wrote it; was it Ricky himself; if so, who was the inspiration for the lyrics, etc.

Soon enough Ricky's team confirmed that the song was written by Ricky himself and that it was not part of the upcoming album. Apparently, Ricky was reluctant to put in on the album as it was "a bit personal." The speculations reached a fevered pitch. Who was the inspiration became the trending topic.

 _BuzzFeed Post:_

 _Ricky Weaver proves his songwriting chops_

 _By now you all have heard the song and saw the video. While it is not a professional studio single, the song became an overnight hit and Ricky should include it on his next album. The Twitter and his fans a losing their minds over the amazing song, which Ricky wrote himself. The sound is such a departure from his typical fare that we have to wonder: Has he always been this good and just had to work with a generic sound and lyrics? Because this song is good. Very good. It is a well constructed love ballad and Ricky's showcases his vocal range with a particularly high note in the end that has us shivering with goosebumps. And if that was not enough, the lyrics would leave you wistful, sad and a little bit in love with him. Internet seems to agree and fans are posting their reactions to the song._

 _Leah1989: omg, this song. I want to be the girl in his dreams. it made me think of my first love. feels._

 _And this is not an unusual reaction. Most of us here, too, were reminiscing about love lost, or never have been, the ones that got away, the ones we chased in vain. Some think that his most recent girlfriend inspired this song, but we believe that like us, Ricky was thinking about someone unattainable or long gone when he wrote this. Could it be the girl he asked out in LA? We don't know. It seems to fit. She knew him before and turned him down because she thought he has not changed. But maybe, after hearing this song, she would reconsider? One thing is for sure, Ricky has grown up and his music did too._

 _BuzzFeed Post_

 _Young stars to look out for._

 _With Kids Choice Awards coming up, we here at BuzzFeed made a list of stars to look out for._

 _..._

 _And from the action blockbuster of the summer, we present you Jack Brewer. Take a look at this young hunk and tell us that you don't want to see more of him. In addition to the impressive physique, this young man is a certified black belt and reportedly did all of his own stunts. Amazing is the only word to describe him. Critics were giving him props for the restrained performance that underlined the young protagonist's battle to find himself. Between his looks, body, Karate skills and acting chops, is it any wonder that studios are paying attention? He is rumored to star in a project of his own soon and we can't wait._

 _As for the question we all want to know the answer to: he is reportedly dating a fellow black belt, who happens to be one of his best friends. Lucky girl. And lucky Jack. With his best friend he can be sure that it is not just his fame that caught her attention. Here the the pics of the young couple. All we can say is Awww._


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: So, a little twist here, but bear with me: I have a plan for all this madness.

BuzzFeed post made Jack a topic of discussion at school, but it is hard to get excited about a guy you knew for at least three years. Most students just made jokes about Jack and 'his physique' and the 'young couple' bit. Kim had faced some jealous glares from the likes of Donna Tobin, but ultimately, it made little difference in Kim's life, because she was not mentioned by name.

Then Jack got a word that he was nominated for the Kids Choice Awards. As a Favorite Male Buttkicker. Kim laughed so hard she had tears in her eyes and snorted a little. He was shocked and marveled at the coincidence of the BuzzFeed post and the awards nominations. Was the choice influenced by the post? His agent was ecstatic and Jack was now mentioned more often in the media. Most of it was a tongue in cheek, but behind the silliness of the category was some genuine interest. Suddenly, everyone wanted a little story about young breakout action star and Jack had firmly refused to reveal any particulars about his whereabouts. He also refused school paper from printing anything on him. As it was, a video of his matches in LA competition surfaced and people knew that he trained at the Bobby Wasabi dojo. Rudy dusted of his "Rudy Gillespie, sensei to the stars" speech and cards, because there were many more calls and visits to the dojo.

* * *

Eric was a young reporter, although that may be overstating things, for one of many news aggregator sites. He wanted a break, a story that would put him above others. Most people would scoff at the throwaway assignment in a sleepy little town of Seaford, but Eric saw opportunity. He was here mostly to find out where Ricky went and who did he see in the hospital. Eric was digging for any details: was Ricky courteous, did he chat with other fans, did he take pictures, did he go anywhere else. Eric wasn't looking to snipe at the star: he was ready for any kind of spin. As it was, this would be a boring 'star doing something nice for a sick fan' spin. Ricky was there, shook hands, smiled, sang a little, signed a bunch of stuff, and not once cursed during the entire event.

Eric was ready to leave with nothing more than a feel good story, when an ambulance brought in a tall portly man in the most hideous getup Eric ever seen. He had long black hair in a vaguely Asian style, was wearing a colorful kimono and too much jewelry. He was screaming and shouting and holding his stomach in obvious pain. Interestingly, he was surrounded by ninjas. Eric never seen anything like this before and started taking pictures on instinct. Nurses and orderlies rushed to man's side, but he was kicking out and ordered his ninjas to keep all at bay, adding that he didn't trust anyone here to treat the Bobby Wasabi. Oh, this was a much better story. A star of yesteryear belligerent and rude in the hospital? Solid gold of a story.

A head nurse showed up with two men nurses ready to reason with a has-been, when a young woman, a teen really, in candy striper outfit ran to Bobby's side. "What happened? Bobby, are you alright?"

The man, Bobby, grabbed her hands and wheezed out, "Kim, my girl, don't let anyone touch me. I don't trust them. I have been poisoned, I swear. Please, stay here with me. I have no one here..." he was fading fast, obviously in great pain, and the girl, Kim, nodded to him placating. "I'll stay. I won't leave you. The doctors here will take good care of you."

"You are good girl. And a good martial artist. A pride of my dojo. Stay with me, please," he fainted and Kim looked up at the nurses with huge eyes swimming in tears, "DO SOMETHING!"

There was a rush of movement and action and Kim was pushed to the side. She followed the gurney with Bobby to the main hospital wing.

Eric was momentarily shaken by the undeniably genuine emotions that were displayed here, but soon recovered and thanked his lucky stars that brought him to this tiny hospital. A great scoop indeed. Aging former star, either genuinely sick or paranoid, belligerent behavior, and a young attractive girl to spice up a story or a picture. It was quite cinematic when they held hands.

When the triage room cleared Eric saw that only a woman at the volunteer coordinator desk was left. He turned to her and trying his best charming smile asked, "Was that Bobby Wasabi... Jill?" Eric added her name that was visible on the tag.

At her nod, he continued, "What is he doing here in Seaford? You'd think he'd be at Beverly Hills somewhere in the mansion."

"Oh he has a mansion," the middle aged woman looked like she was dying to gossip - the best people in Eric's books. "It is so very grand. And the ninjas. They say his mansion is like an impenetrable fortress. You know, some people have been there and they say that he has themed bathrooms, like a disco theme bathroom. Isn't that just insane?"

Oh, this was getting better and better, thought Eric. He nodded encouragingly and said, "I bet you don't have anyone like this living in Seaford. Do you know why he lives here?"

"No clue, but he has a studio here and he goes there often. Not to train anyone, of course, but he likes to see the new students."

"Oh. Was that girl one of his students?" Eric carefully maneuvered the conversation.

"Kim? Oh, she is a Wasabi girl. And she volunteers here. Such a nice girl. And sings too, you know."

"Wasabi girl?" Eric was like a hound dog that sensed the prey. "Kim is a Wasabi girl?"

"Yes. And she is a martial artist too. You know she has a black belt. I always tell my nieces that they should be like Kim: she is polite, accomplished in arts and athletics, has good grades, volunteers here and at the animal shelter. And such a good daughter too. Always checking in with her dad. But then dads and their little girls are always extra close."

"Yes, yes they are."

Eric had his story.

Unfortunately for him, his editors had no interest in the action star of the yesteryear and put the story on hold. Eric was told to write the post on the boring visit of Ricky Weaver to see a sick fan.

It would be another two weeks, when there was a lull in the celebrity news, that the editors decided to run the Bobby Wasabi story.

* * *

Kim entered Rudy's office to find Bobby lounging there at the desk. He recovered nicely from his food poisoning, which also claimed Jack and Jerry as its victims (Milton vowed to never eat at Phil's). Bobby was genuinely grateful to Kim for her company and support in the hospital. Of course, Bobby being Bobby, was showing his gratitude by being generally a nuisance and Kim felt little reservations in breaking the news to him cold turkey.

"So, when were going to tell me that you're my father?" She demanded with the fiercest of scowls.

Bobby dropped the coffee he was drinking, splattering it everywhere. He didn't seem to notice. _"Excuse me?"_

Kim looked down at the mess on Rudy's desk and the splatter of coffee on her gi with a pout. "Bobby! This gi is white. Do you know how hard it is to get the coffee stains out?" Behind her she heard Rudy squawking, and she turned to flash a bright smile at him. "Sorry Rudy. I did not know he would be so shocked."

"Your father? Someone thinks he is a father?" Rudy was a picture of dismay.

Bobby waved a hand distractedly. "Not the point! The point is- the point-" he stalled, then spluttered, _"Father?"_

"I mean it is possible to think that," Rudy said thoughtfully. "The ages are about right."

Bobby glared at Rudy and flicked a pencil at him. "No! I will not have such talk! First of all, I am in the prime of my life. Just barely into my middle age. And you-" he waved in Kim's direction. "You are _entirely_ too old to be the daughter of a young, virile specimen such as myself. I mean, look at me."

"Actually, Bobby, you are at least twenty years older than Kim, which is a perfectly reasonable age difference for you to be-" Milton began.

"Ah nopenopnopenopenope. Don't say it!" Bobby snarled, holding his hands over his ears until Milton stopped. When he finally uncovered his ears, he glared at everyone. "Explain."

"You can thank you own larger than life persona and, apparently, a 'source close to you.'" Kim added with a nonchalant shrug. "There's an article claiming I am your daughter."

"You better be talking about my muscular physique, girl." Bobby was quickly losing all the gratitude.

"Would you like the honest answer?" Kim raised her brows and stared down at Bobby.

"You see this?" Bobby asked Rudy, ignoring Kim. "These are ungrateful children. How did you discipline them?"

"What can I say?" Kim smirked. "I'm a teen and I suppose to hate my parents on principle. You're not my _real_ dad!"

Bobby winced and asked, "What is the story here though? How did they figure you and I are related?"

Kim showed him the pictures on her phone, "See, here, you and I are at the hospital holding hands. This was right before you fainted, but they did not publish that."

"So? I was in pain and thought I was dying. You were a familiar face. How do they jump from this to father-daughter?"

"Well you were calling me your girl. And they quote a source that apparently told them that I am a Wasabi girl. They even printed it as my name: Kim Wasabi." Kim waited for the pin to drop.

"You are a Wasabi girl," Jerry said. "We all are Wasabis."

"Oh... oh... OH," Bobby's eyes grew in realization. "That's it? That is the story? Oh my god, how do they even publish such rubbish?"

"No clue, but I want a pony now, Daddy." Kim said cheekily waiting for reaction.

Bobby whirled back to her. "Ugh, _no_ , none of that. I am not father material! Can you _imagine_?"

Kim cackled finally losing her game face. "Oh my God, the look on your face! People's faces in the school. The look on my parents faces. You should see comments on this thing! People are insane."

Jack added smiling wide, "Yeah, some are saying its like a secret love child angle."

"Some say that genes were nice to Kim, that she must be taking after her mother," Milton added and then mumbled apologies at Bobby's glare.

Kim went on, "And you have obviously made sure I am a karate master like you. And you live here in Seaford away from Hollywood. They even praise you for that."

Bobby stopped scowling, "Wait a minute! People are actually talking about me right now?"

"Well, yes. Not like the big media outlets, but enough."

Bobby stopped and looked at Kim. Kim stopped and looked at Bobby, already shaking her head no.

"I can get you a pony," Booby offered.

"No!"

Milton looked at the two and then groaned, dropping his head in his hands. "Oh, no."

"Oh, _yes_ ," Bobby said gleefully.

"What's going on? What did I miss?" Jerry was looking at everyone askance.

"Please Kim. This is the most attention I have received since that almost marriage to a Black Belt Widow. Back then people just pitied me and thought me a mid-life crisis idiot. This is so much better."

"But its a lie, a fabrication. I don't want to be part of it," Kim could not believe Bobby was asking her this.

"We would not be lying. We just would be ignoring the article and continue to be ambivalent about it."

"No, you should issue denials. I mean I can't because I am a non-entity and I don't have publicists." Kim was insistent.

Milton thoughtfully said, "Kim, wouldn't denial be something expected if you are in fact a secret love child of Bobby? And the more Bobby denies, the more people think there is something there?"

"Yeah, mystery blonde, who inspires sad love songs. Ricky denied rumors, but people believe what they want," Jack said with a frown. He was sure that Ricky harbored feelings for Kim and was very uncomfortable at even a suggestion of a connection between them.

"See, Kim, maybe its best to just let the story die on its own. Don't give it oxygen with any added commentary," Milton said seriously and Kim was now unsure about the course of action.

She looked into Bobby pleading eyes that reminded her of the time in the hospital, when he was lying sick and faint, and she finally nodded her head, "Fine. But if paparazzi swamp me, I want a contingent of ninjas with me at all times."

* * *

Fan exchanges re: Jack Brewer

jbgirl: did you hear that JB is dating Bobby Wasabi's daughter! She is the black belt friend!

bbelt: what!? where did you read that?

jbgirl: look for any story about Wasabi girl and then look at the pictures. its her, she was with Jack at the studio. her name is Kim. and together they are Kick!

bbelt: omg! you are right! and Kick! how perfect!

jbgirl: you think Bobby Wasabi trained Jack himself? oh, that's just awesome. and they are, like, best friends too.

bbelt: oh, i just read that her dad was sick. how awful are these papps! he was sick and she was crying and they're taking pictures.

jbgirl: yeah, but she has Jack to console her.

bbelt: yeah...


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I want to thank my reviewers. I enjoy writing these stories and I am glad people like them. This story almost did not happen because I kept thinking how preposterously AU it is and that no one would read it. So, thank you for reading and reviewing.

* * *

Kim Wasabi news made things strange. Most people have not caught on to the story yet, but there were calls to Kim and her parents from some acquaintances. Kim's mother was especially pissed off that people assumed she had an affair with Bobby Wasabi. Still, the story did not follow up on Kim's actual name or her living situation, working with the assumption that she had the same name as Bobby.

Some eagle eyed fans recognized her as the girl Jack left the studio with and the new story was that Jack was dating a Bobby Wasabi daughter. They reposted the picture of them leaving the studio alongside the picture of her with Bobby in the hospital and there was no denying that it was the same girl. The speculations were growing by leaps and bounds and now Jack was trained by Bobby himself and Kim and Jack were promised to each other since they were in the crib. That Jack had fans wasn't surprising; that Jack and Kim as a couple now had fans was kind of strange. Of course, they had a fair share of haters as well. They were called by a portmanteau name of Kick and everybody was either asking questions about their relationship or simply making things up.

Bobby wasn't helping the matters. As promised, there were no denials or admissions officially issued, but he joined Twitter and was posting all sorts of dubious things. One of the first posts was him wondering whether 17-year old girls are being serious when they ask for a pony. The tweet was picked and the responses ranged from hilarious "better give her a car" to sweet "aww, of course, she is a little girl to him still."

This sort of thing repeated several times. He posted pics of the Warriors mid-air during the celebratory jump with a tag line "Pride of my dojo" and people went bananas about Kim and Jack in the center of the picture. He lamented that children grow up too quickly. He wondered about good colleges nearby.

Kim's parents actually asked her if Bobby was delusional and whether she should be around him. She told them the truth: that Bobby was milking the attention, but would not outright claim any relationship to her. Kim's dad was miffed at the deception, but was more concerned with Jack being her boyfriend. In fact, he joked if he should talk to Bobby to make sure that Jack did not spend too much unsupervised time with Kim. As it was, when Jack visited her, they were not allowed to close the doors.

They were at her room again, ostensibly studying for chemistry quiz and Kim was browsing of the fan sites for the movie, following the threads that discussed Jack and his girlfriend. It's not that she was vain or a glutton for punishment, but she was always afraid that someone would either publish her real name or connect her to Ricky. Stuff she saw was sometimes too hurtful even for Kim to ignore and shrug off. She sighed when she read another comment about her being ugly, fat, clumsy, stupid, and an overall slut.

"Kim, don't do that to yourself. These comments are baseless and don't matter. All you are going to achieve is make yourself upset." Jack sounded just as upset. He always was protective of Kim and this version of threat that he could not punch and kick left him helpless and agitated. At least his personal hater stopped with the nasty and threatening messages. That took the load off of his shoulders.

"You're right, of course. It's just that I can't help it sometimes. And I am worried about the whole Ricky connection blowing up in our faces. On the other hand, I almost wish it would come out already and then I don't have to check all this nastiness every day. That's no way to live. And I don't want to do that perpetually."

"Then don't. Just stop. I don't care what people say about you. And I don't care if it comes out. You are always just Kim to me. My Kim."

His eyes mirrored the sincerity in his words as they bore into hers. It hit her hard that despite his growing fame and her brush with celebrity, Jack was still the same boy she met, with a hero complex and mad karate skills.

Jack unknowingly leaned in towards her, and like two opposite charges of a magnet, they were drawn together by an unseen force. His hand reached forward to grab onto hers, lying on top of the duvet.

"I'll protect you, Kim. Always. I promise."

The look she gave him brought warmth to his chest. Her eyes shone, lips pressed together tightly, as she nodded in understanding. Then a small smile spread across her face, as she absorbed this knowledge that he was always going to be there.

Jack's thumb rubbed absentmindedly over the tops of her knuckles, brushing the ring on one of her fingers. Their eyes never parted.

He could feel himself being pulled in closer. Her bright eyes sparkling with warmth and something else, something darker. He knew that something was reflected in his eyes. Like always, he was drawn to her. It's always present, this need for her and now it is got his heart racing. She opened her mouth and breathed _Jack_ across his mouth - he was so close - and he went to close the distance. The first touch was like an electric shock to the system: his skin was sensitized and the taste buds exploding with flavor. He pressed harder, already hungry for more, and Kim opened her mouth to let him in. It was all so heady; her lips were always so soft and she made these little mewling sounds that were so quiet, but oh so thunderous to him. He did this: he made her whimper in pleasure and he liked it. He wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her closer making her sit on his lap sideways. She quickly wrapped both hands around his neck and played with his hair, lightly massaging his head. The pleasure and pressure were building in him and he dropped one hand to her hip and drew circles with his thumb on the exposed skin. She shuddered and dropped her head back and Jack quickly moved his mouth to her neck, unable to resist the urge to bite her. Kim only whispered _Ohohoh_ and he was so turned on - ready for more - when he heard footfalls on the staircase and they jumped back from each other.

Kim grabbed her tablet and sat at the table, and they looked like an illustration of the studious group. What Kim's dad did not see were a hicky already forming on Kim's neck and Jack's state of arousal, that was hidden by a convenient Chemistry textbook.

* * *

Re: Jack and his GF

jbgirl: so, anyone here is from Seaford? I guess Jack lives there too since Kim and her dad are there.

dtcheer: I am and I know both Kim and Jack. BTW, she is NOT Bobby's daughter. Her last name is Crawford and is a cheerleader like me, although she was kicked out of the squad once.

bbelt: OMG! Really? You know them? Is Jack as hot as he looks in the movie?

graceinspace: Ehh... Sorry, but I knew Jack since we were 14 and it kind of blows my mind that people think he is hot. Well, some people in our school agree with you. OK, most girls do. But he does not go around shirtless. He was a skater boy in the beginning...

jbgirl: And Kim? Were they always together? She is sort of pretty.

dtcheer: She's OK. There are prettier girls in our school. And, no, they started dating recently. Kim dated other people before. And he went out with a couple of girls, but they might as well have been together. They are like this tight group of friends from the dojo and Kim is the only girl there and no one can get it in that group.

bbelt: Seriously? So they dated others, but always came back to each other? Oh...

jbgirl: Who did she date?

dtcheer: she dated one of the footballers, not too long, and it was super awkward when Jack found out. Like, cut the tension with the knife. She broke up quickly with that guy.

bbelt: Shut up! OMG! He was jealous when she was with other guys! And now Kick prevailed! Kim is so lucky.

jbgirl: agreed. this stuff is straight from Korean melodrama.

dtcheer: I don't know about melodrama, but the Wasabi group always gets into these adventures and scuffles. Kim had to fight alongside Jack so many times she might as well be just another guy... And they are friends with some weirdos... OK, guys, GTG...

* * *

Eric was trawling the net for any mentions of Kim and Bobby Wasabi. He was basking in his own glory. His story was reprinted in other news outlets and his editors now knew his name. It was great. He now asked to share his opinion on whether something was a promising lead. His post got a lot of clicks and that was all that mattered.

His eyes were drawn to the small cashed blurb on the fansite for a movie, which discussed how Kim Wasabi was dating some young upcoming actor. When Eric clicked on pictures of the girl with an actor, he knew he had his next story. His editors agreed and Eric went back to the sleepy town of Seaford. Although, really, it wasn't that bad. Hey, Bobby Wasabi and Jack Brewer lived here. It got to be something appealing here.

By the time he arrived, he did not waste time with the hospital. He went to the dojo where this Jack and Kim were training. He did not get far with the sensei though. Rudy Gillespie was all too wiling to talk about karate and his tutelage of the young stars, but the moment Eric veered towards Jack and Kim, Rudy piped down and sent Eric packing.

Far from being discouraged, Eric wandered into the falafel shop next door to see if he can spot the couple or just get some scoop on them. It was quiet with few people around. Eric ordered the house special and fired up his tablet to begin writing his next story. When his food was brought to him and asked the waiter if he knew Bobby, Jack or Kim.

"Oh, you are friend of theirs? I am Phil. I own this place and I know Jack and Kim very well. They come here all the time," the man, Phil, was beaming proudly.

"What about Bobby? Does he come here?" Eric loved chatty people.

"He does not eat anything that is not prepared by his chef." Interesting.

"So you know him too?"

"Know him? We are friends. We fought in the battle together against these bikers." Phil puffed his chest out and looked imperiously at Eric.

"Bobby still got his skills? I thought he was just an actor, not the martial artist." Eric was not sure where the story would go, but Phil was a fount of information.

"Oh, he is a great fighter indeed."

"So, did Bobby train the kids himself?"

"No, Rudy does. But Bobby gave them the karate robot once to help children get better and they fought with his ninjas once." This stuff was pure gold, Eric thought.

On the whim he asked, "You seem like you know everything here," Phil preened at the praise, "Have you seen Ricky Weaver here before?"

"Oh, Ricky! I made a Sticky Ricky on the menu for him," Phil was boasting and Eric could not believe his luck.

"So you saw him? Here?"

"Yes, he was in the dojo talking to Kims." Sweet lord, please let it be true, Eric was practically praying.

"Why would he need to talk to her?"

"I don't know my friend." Phil looked like really wanted to help.

"So, Ricky came here last month to talk to Kim. Unbelievable," Eric was thoughtful. This could be an even bigger story than he originally thought.

"Last month? So he came back again? And he did not stop to check out the Sticky Ricky..." now Phil looked upset.

"What do you mean 'again'? When was he here before that?" Eric's senses told him that his was a very important question.

"He came here first couple of years ago. I did not know he came here again."

Eric was furiously typing on his tablet searching for anything to support Phil's claim. He was in luck, there was plenty of coverage of Ricky coming here to Seaford for a high school performance and, apparently, having a bad hair day. Back then, Ricky was not as big of a star and made a lot of these high school appearances. This must be how he met Kim.

"So, Kim knows Ricky from some time ago... And now she is dating Jack..." Phil nodded along Eric's thoughts. "What does her father think of her dating Jack?"

"Her father? I don't know, but who wouldn't want their daughter to date Jack? He is nice boy and a great fighter."

"And Ricky?"

"No father would want Ricky as a boyfriend. He is here today, gone tomorrow. No, no, no. Jack is much better."

Eric left the falafel shop with a heartburn and the bones of a great story.

* * *

PopSugar post

Here is the list of all the nominees for the Kids Choice Awards. This year boasts a great number of newcomers and we hope they are ready to be slimed. We will of course see some old faces. Speaking of, it is rumored that the famous action star of yesteryear, Bobby Wasabi, will be one of the presenters. Could he be presenting awards to the Favorite Male Buttkicker? If the rumors are true he could be giving the award to his protégé and his own daughter's boyfriend.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Ricky Caught in a Love Triangle_**

 _Have we got the news for you! Sit down and enjoy the top story of the day: Ricky Weaver's secret crush is revealed and we know why it is a secret!_

 _First of all, let's rehash what we already know. Ricky broke up with Helena about six months ago. Reports about the reason for split are too conflicting, but one thing is clear: they did not get along for a while._

 _Ricky was then spotted asking a mystery girl out in LA. [embedded picture]_

 _She reportedly turned him down and the witness told that it sounded like the two knew each other from before._

 _Then Ricky was seen in Seaford, CA, to visit a sick fan in the hospital._

 _We recently found out that the mystery girl lives in Seaford and is none other than Kim Crawford, Bobby Wasabi's rumoured daughter! Note that she volunteers in the Seaford hospital. [embedded picture]_

 _Kim was recently seen with Jack Brewer, an upcoming star of the summer blockbuster. He is Bobby's protégé, and he and Kim have been friends forever. They started dating fairly recently. It would appear that Kim turned Ricky down because she already has a boyfriend. [embedded picture]_

 _But that's not all!_

 _Our reporter found out from a source very close to the couple and Bobby Wasabi that Ricky's known Kim since she was a freshman in_ _high school. They met when Ricky was at Seaford High to make a routine appearance and, according to people who were there, he was immediately smitten. It is not clear whether Kim was too, but sources tell us that Bobby does not approve of Ricky. He was Team Jack since the very beginning._

 _We don't know whether Ricky saw Kim again after LA, but he came out with a new and, by his own admission, very personal song In My Dreams almost immediately after his visit to Seaford. Could it be that he is singing about Kim, his first love that never could be? Does he still pine for a girl with an over-protective father and a boyfriend with serious fighting skills? One can only wonder._

 _Both Jack and Ricky are nominees for this years Kid's Choice Awards in separate categories. Bobby is slated to be a presenter there as well. It is not clear whether Kim would be at the Awards, but we can expect some awkwardness between the two rivals on the red carpet._

* * *

When she started dating Jack, Kim thought she figured the whole public media thing. She was definitely a digital native and had a skeptical attitude to the celebrity culture. She thought that it was kind of a quid pro quo situation, an unspoken or even spoken agreement, where people were in the spotlight to promote or sell something (a movie, a book, their life, whatever). We all took part in, willingly or unwillingly, by consuming these fungible empty infotainment pieces about celebrities and their lives.

In her imagination, and if Jack became popular, she would fly under the radar: at most a mention or two of the girlfriend and maybe an appearance to an event. If she expected the photographers to trail her, she imagined she would be cool, collected and completely uninteresting, so they would just leave her alone. She wasn't planning on living in Hollywood or attending all the clubs.

When she had a run in with Ricky and the pictures surfaced, she thought that it was too grainy and unlikely to be traced to her. She also thought that she would never see him again and there would be no way for her to be linked to him.

When the Kim Wasabi story broke, she thought that, of course there were those crack articles in the publications of 'a certain repute' but nobody really took those seriously, did they? She also assumed that people who were subjects of those articles were willing participants. That was, until she was suddenly dropped right in the centre of it – without being asked a single question. And nothing could prepare anyone for a media storm hitting when you were in the midst of all the rumours.

Her first instinct upon seeing her phone in the morning, blown up with messages, was that somebody had died. She then listened to her messages one by one, becoming increasingly irritated by people either asking her about a comment on her love triangle with Ricky and Jack or offering their services to represent her public relations interest.

It was the last message that made her pause. It was from Ricky. "Kim... Uh, you probably know why I am calling... Look, I don't know how they found out about us meeting all these years ago... I am sorry you are dragged into this mess. I am not sure about Bobby Wasabi bit, but it's probably not true either... Uhm, my PR team would deny everything about the romance or love triangle. They can help you as well. They are big firm and can be your reps too. You might need it. It'll be bad for a while... Uhm, you can call me if you need anything. Please, I want to help. Again, I am sorry about this. And the song... I shouldn't have..."

The message cut off at this point. Kim was floored. What the hell had happened over night? What were people talking about? Where did they get her number?

She marched to her desk, turned on her tablet and googled herself – and nearly fell of her chair.

Her search returned more than a thousand hits, mostly news articles from the last 12 hours, but also forums and other threads discussing her status as the heartbreaker, who snagged two popular young men.

To be on the safe side, Kim carefully looked out of the window and saw no one outside, which was a relief. She went back to her tablet and stared at the pictures, hoping that they would go away. But the pictures wouldn't go away. This was bad...

She called Jack, her chest uncomfortably tight with apprehension. When he answered, she just blurted, "Did you see the story?"

"What story? About Bobby?" Jack sounded like he just woke up.

"No, about the love triangle between you, I, and Ricky," Kim was proud that her voice did not quiver.

"What?! Love triangle? What!?"

"I know... Just... go and look it up. Its everywhere." Kim sat and waited for Jack to do just that.

"What the hell? Who is this source close to us? I mean there is enough factual truth here to make the entire story believable. What should we do?"

"I think you need to talk to your agent. And Bobby cannot equivocate anymore. He would have to officially deny the parentage."

"What are you going to do?"

"Well, there are no photographers near my house. I will just go to school and hope that it would blow over after Bobby denies everything. I just hope that Ricky would do the same. I am not sure how much help that would be."

"No, wait for me. I'll pick you up and we'll go to school together."

"Jack..."

"No, Kim. I am coming. Don't argue."

* * *

Kim came downstairs and took in her parents sitting at the kitchen island, ready for a normal day in the office. She hated to ruin the morning for them.

"Ughm, so, Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you..." Kim didn't get to finish the sentence.

"Oh my god, you are pregnant!" her mom shouted with round eyes.

"I will kill that Brewer boy! I don't care that he is a black belt." He dad was standing up with a furious expression on his face.

"WHAT?! NO! Seriously?! That's not it! I am NOT pregnant! Relax!" Kim shouted right back at them horrified that this was the first thing they thought.

"Oh... OK... What do you have to tell us, honey?" her mom went back to the sweet tone she usually used with Kim in nanosecond.

"Are you sure?" her das was less inclined to let go of this topic.

"Yes, I am sure, Dad. But, the news I have is not good." Kim paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. "Remember how I went to LA for the karate tournament? So, I ran into Ricky Weaver at this store there. We talked for, like, a minute, but someone took a picture of us. And you know about the pictures of me with Jack from his audition, right? Well, someone put the two together and now the story on the Internet is that I am in this love triangle with Ricky and Jack. On top of that, there is this ridiculous story about Bobby, and now its this big news everywhere about Bobby Wasabi's daughter and the two guys."

Kim finished talking and stopped to look at her parents. Her mom's mouth hang open and she was simply staring at Kim in disbelief. Her dad looked confused for a moment and then said, "Who is Ricky Weaver?"

Her mom's month opened even more and she turned with the same look of disbelief to her husband and Kim just couldn't anymore. Between them thinking she was pregnant to her dad not knowing who Ricky was, she simply couldn't with this morning. She started laughing. She laughed and laughed and couldn't stop until she snorted and there were tears in her eyes.

Her parents looked mildly concerned and when she finally calmed down her dad simply said, "What does it matter what the world thinks?"

"I hope you are right and it will just blow over, like Bobby Wasabi story. But, you maybe asked a lot more questions by everyone. And there could be reporters trying to talk to you, or trying to photograph you... I don't know..."

"OK... OK... Do you want me to drive you to school, baby girl?"

"Thanks, Dad, but Jack is coming to drive me to school."

Her dad scowled, but nodded his head.

* * *

They drove in silence and Kim was restless and worried. Jack pulled into the school parking lot and parked at the back entrsnce. Before she could go, he locked the doors and turned to her, "I promised that we wont do anything in the parking lots, but to hell with it."

He leaned over the console and pulled her for a deep kiss that fairly screamed _Don't worry, I am with you, I'll protect you_. Before it could escalate Jack pulled away and said with a smirk, "For the record, I am glad you are with me and that you dad approves."

Kim laughed feeling somehow better about the situation.

There were several photographers waiting at the front entrance of the school. The administration must have told them to keep out of the building. But the parking lot was a fair game it seemed. Approaching the school, Kim unconsciously tucked herself into Jack's taller frame and he put his arm around her shoulder.

And then they were spotted.

"There she is!" one of them screamed, pointing in her direction, getting his camera ready.

Kim pulled her sun glasses on and dropped her head down to allow her hair to fall around her face. Suddenly there were sounds of cameras clicking and flashes everywhere. And then they started calling her name.

For a second she just froze on the spot. That didn't keep the paparazzi from cornering her and Jack.

"Hey Kim, look here, look here!" one of them loudly said, trying to get her attention.

"Where is Ricky? Are you in touch with him?"

"Give me your prettiest smile! I'm going to make you famous!"

"Kim, Kim, Kim, Kim!"

"Over here, Kim!"

In between all the screaming, she heard them shout for Jack too.

"How long have you been going out, Jack? Did you know that Ricky saw her last month?

"What do you think of the song?"

"Is it about you?"

"Are you going to meet him at the awards, Kim?"

For a few seconds she just stood on the spot, bringing Jack to a full stop as well. She was trying to figure out what was happening, trying to gather her courage, trying to get her feet move so she could get through the throng of people taking her picture. It was like they attracted more and more attention by the second. Her classmates were stopping and looking, some of them got out their mobile phone and snapped some pictures of her.

She took a deep breath and walked ahead, Jack firmly at her side, his fingers gentle on her shoulder. He was tall and imposing enough for the reporters to part for him. She vaguely registered someone stepping up to her and walking alongside her and Jack. She kept her eyes fixed firmly on the ground, ignoring the loud voices and the cameras. The last few steps to the school took half an eternity. She almost flung herself into one of the door when Jack opened it and then shut it in front of everybody's face.

She stood in the entrance hall to the school, breathing hard, trying to take in her surroundings. What the hell had just happened?

"I think we might need Bobby's ninjas after all."

She turned to see that Milton and Jerry were standing shoulder to shoulder with Jack. _Oh, these boys_. She was so touched she could feel tears forming in her eyes, burning and threatening to spill.

"Thank you," she croaked through her tight throat. All three boys got an uncomfortable look at the sight of her tears.

"You better not be getting too mushy on us, Kimster," Jerry said and Milton nodded his head vigorously. "I am not sure how to deal with mushy Kim," he added.

Kim shook her head thinking that they could deal with like always - together.

* * *

The school was terrible. Other students stared and surreptitiously typed on their phones and whispered whenever Kim or Jack passed by. Kim was never left alone, either Jack or Jerry or Milton were with her at all times. Maybe because of the make shift bodyguards, but most students stayed away. It was lunch time when Grace plopped down across from Kim and said out loud, "Kim! Why didn't you tell me that it was you in the LA pictures with Ricky?"

"Well, because people were already saying that be was on a date and I didn't want to bring attention to myself. I was right. Look at that craziness outside." Kim waved her hand expansively and Jack was glaring at Grace.

"I guess you are right. So you didn't see him secretly or something?" Grace purposefully looked only at Kim feeling Jack's dark scowl in her peripheral vision.

"What? No, no secret assignations."

"And the song?" Grace was still ignoring Jack's glare.

"Grace, it could be about anyone really. I saw him total of two-three times in my life over, like, three years. There is no love story here."

"I should have guessed so. They were so wrong about you being Bobby Wasabi's daughter..."

"Yes! I have no idea how they come up with such trash!"

"Well, just know that the entire cheer squad was contacted by various media outlets. I won't speak to anyone, but some might." Here Grace made an exaggerated eye roll toward Donna Tobin.

Ugh, not Donna, Kim thought unhappily.

* * *

Kim and Jack were called to the principal's office. He looked very serious and immediately jumped into the deep end.

"Kim, Jack, this morning's events have caused a lot of disruption to the school and many parents were calling me about it." He saw Kim open her mouth and waved it off, "I know, I know, it is not your fault exactly. But situation is bad. We called in the police and they were able to get reporters to leave school grounds. Believe it or not, that bit about you being Bobby Wasabi's daughter helped. The new law allows for fines and lawsuits against anyone, who harasses a minor because of their parent's occupation."

Kim's jaw veritably fell to the ground. "What?"

"Yes, I know. Basically, the law protects celebrity children from being harassed. In this case, as far as these guys know, you are a celebrity child and a minor for the next several months. Police reminded them of this fact and they left the school grounds, which is all that I am concerned about."

She left his office in a slightly better mood. She could at least use that law to stave off the worst of the paparazzi.

They were walking in the parking lot to Jack's car when she spotted a large limousine arrive and come to a stop next to them. The windows rolled down and Bobby's face appeared in the window. "Need a ride?" She shook her head no pointing at Jack and the car keys in his hand. "Kim, Jack, get in. We need to discuss this new development. Someone will take your car." Bobby nodded his head and one of the ninjas came out of nowhere and took Jack's keys.

They sat in the limo and Kim was marveling at the turn her life was taking. Inside of it was luxurious and every bit as ostentatious as Bobby himself.

"Do you actually own this thing?" she blurted out.

"Of course! You don't want any of those rented ones. Who knows what went on in those cars..." Bobby dramatically shuddered.

Kim just shook her head at this. Of course, indeed. "Have you already issued the denial?" she wanted some control of the situation even if it was not going to change things.

"I did. On Twitter and through my agent. Not that is helped the matters," Bobby was looking somewhat apologetic.

"What do you mean?" Jack was tensing up next to her.

"I took to Twitter last night, when I first saw some of my followers sending me links. I said that the stories are untrue and that you are not my daughter or that I did not train Jack. But... Like that ginger nerd said, no one believes me! They are saying that of course I would deny my secret daughter's existence. That I was truthful when my life was in danger at the hospital. That this denial is just me being a good dad and protecting my child."

"I guess Ricky is right. I need my own PR person," Kim said to herself. She hated that she was dependent on others to set the record straight.

"What? You talked to Ricky? When was that?" Jack's face was hard and his eyes were dark and boring into hers.

Oh, right... Kim thought, Jack and his jealousy. She sighed, "I did not talk to him. He left me a message sometime this morning. He is sorry that this happened and promised his team would deny any stories about romance and everything."

Jack was mollified, although still visibly in a bad mood.

The trio finally arrived at Bobby's mansion and were ushered into his office. When they entered it, Kim stopped dead in her tracks. There, standing by the window, was Ricky.


	9. Chapter 9

Ricky looked the same as always: dressed in some no doubt designer T-shirt and jeans, overly styled blond hair and tattoos. Jack almost ran into her when she abruptly stopped and now was glaring at Ricky, while his hand came to rest on Kim's waist.

Ricky looked at them with unreadable look on his face and then proceeded to nod at them both. Kim could sense Jack's reluctant response and she finally was able to move. Only now that the tension broke, she noticed that Ricky's manager was there too. As usual he was on his phone and only waved at her.

"I feel like we had this conversation before, but, why are you here? If anybody sees you, it'd just add the fodder to the gossip," Kim said quietly.

"It would. And I wouldn't have come here, but there is new development..." Ricky paused and Kim's stomach tightened with apprehension. "There is a footage of my performance in Seaford High from long ago."

"No..." Kim was shaking head in denial.

"Yes. It has our tug of war with Jack over you."

"How? Where? Who?" Shock was making Jack's speech short and brusque.

"Well... It is one of the former employees of mine. He has a bit of a grudge and would like to make my life difficult. He tried with tell-all interview about my jerkish ways, but there was little traction with that. Now, though, this footage would get him some decent money. Steve is trying to buy it off of him. But, just in case we don't succeed, I think we should discuss the common strategy about this whole thing."

He was right, Kim thought distantly. The situation was so surreal that her brain was processing it like a hypothetical scenario, not her actual life. They needed a strategy to deal with the fall out. If the video of Ricky and Jack pulling her in opposite directions becomes public, there would no stamping out the rumors of the love triangle anymore.

"Jack, you should really call your agent. I am surprised he hasn't called you already." Kim looked at him and at his sheepish expression she knew her answer. The agent called, but Jack did not answer. "Go. Call him. I'll be fine."

Jack looked at her thoughtfully and then turned on his heel and stepped out into the hallway, phone already in hand.

Kim sat down in one of the wing-back chairs and just drooped succumbing to the pressures of the day. Ricky approached her slowly and sat in a chair nearby.

"I really am sorry about this Kim. I wish I never run into you in that store." Ricky said emphatically and Kim only raised her eyebrow at him. "No... That's not true. I am glad I saw you again, but I wish that there were no photos of that. Unfortunately, it is my life now. And everyone with a phone has a camera, so ..." He was frustrated and sad and was looking at her sympathetically; and she thought that it would've been great if she meet this Ricky first.

"Hey, this is hardly your fault. You can't control behavior of every one you come across," Kim offered gently.

"Yes, but I did not help matters with that song..."

Kim was silent. She really did not want to discuss it. Some part of her was afraid that Jack's and everyone's suspicion was correct and the song was about her. She was afraid that if Ricky vocalized it, then there would be no going back from just pretending they were awkward acquaintances.

"Kim..." Ricky began and she could not take his earnest face anymore. She jumped out and hastily said something about little girls room and ran out of the office.

She wandered down the hall looking for Jack or Bobby. She heard muffled voices further down and went that way. She was almost by the door when Jacks voice suddenly rose in pitch and he firmly said, "Its out of question. I am not trotting my girlfriend out as a prop. She should not be subject to this. Studios should want me for the talent, no the publicity."

Kim did not stick around to hear more. Her thoughts and feelings were chaotic and she kept thinking back to the days when Jack was excited and hopeful about his budding acting career. She was deep in thought and slowly drifted down the hall until she reached what must have been a library.

She sat there thinking about this whole situation. It was such a mess and really, none of them were individually at fault for anything. She cursed herself for allowing the Kim Wasabi story to go unchallenged, but seeing how people were sticking to rumors over any actual fact, she did not think there would have been a difference. And now, now, Jack's career was in jeopardy. What was his agent implying? That Jack should milk this situation for free publicity? It makes sense, but she knew Jack. He was stubborn and always needed to play the hero. He was always protective of his friends, but especially her... He would refuse, of course, and it might hurt his career. She loved him for it and was mad at the whole situation that was presenting such tough choice to him.

Ricky and Bobby were practically bullet proof in this situation. They both were established names and this new scandal would be just another in the long list of such scandals.

Bobby had not specific career plans and Ricky was too talented and popular for anything to be a huge setback.

She herself was a non-entity. Just another name linked to the rich and famous. Once this particular scandal dies down, hardly anyone would remember her.

But Jack... Jack was another matter altogether. He just started making a name for himself. It was quite a different thing for him to have a negative reputation if studios were paying attention.

She winced remembering how Jack did not want them to start anything because of the kind of attention he was getting. Oh how the things have changed! It was now her turn to think that they should not have started anything, because of the kind of attention she was getting...

The thought of not being with Jack hurt like a punch to the stomach. She could feel the bile rising when she thought of the unfairness of it all. She was close to tears again and she kept them at bay by sheer force of will. She was _not_ mushy.

She sat like this clenching her hands in fists until she felt her nails dig painfully into the flesh of her palms. _Goddamn! Why? Why now? Now, when I know how it is to be so close to Jack?_

Her thoughts were interrupted when the door opened and she hastily stood up to find Ricky standing in the doorway.

"Everybody assembled in the situation room," he gave a wan smile and she mirrored it.

"All right. I am coming." She went to door but had to stop because Ricky still stood there, blocking it.

"Kim, I want to tell you... No, you don't get to run away again. I know you might not want to hear it, but I like you. A lot. And I thought about you these past two years. I wasn't kidding when I said that you are an amazing tough girl, who does not take crap from anyone. You did not take any of my crap and I learned that it is very valuable, when people see you for what you are, when people are honest with you. It is so rare in my life now..."

Ricky moved closer to Kim, who froze in place when he began talking. He slowly raised his hand and took one of Kim's, "I won't lie and tell you that it was like love at first sight, but when I saw you in the music store I thought that here it was, my second chance with you. To get to know you, to learn all the things the make you tick. I want that very much. I want the opportunity to know you. And, if you allow me, I want to show you the real Ricky too." He lifted her hand to his lips and placed a small kiss on it.

"Ricky, I am with Jack now," Kim whispered and she could see the pained look on Ricky's face. It smoothed over quickly though.

"I figured... You know, I wrote that song in one hour after I saw you again at the dojo. You have no idea how gorgeous you are. And so honest, so real. I was blown away and when you said you had feeling for Jack, it crushed me. That song, it was all about you. I dreamed of you. You are like this hope, and a possibility, and a dream, and a curse, all in one. Tell me that I have no chance with you, and I will stop."

He was leaning in and Kim knew that the next thing would be him trying to kiss her and she started to pull away from him, because, as beautiful as his words were, he was not Jack and he deserved someone who loved him just as much as she loved Jack.

Before Ricky or Kim could do anything the door opened again and Jack stood there with a thunderous expression on his face taking in their position. They were close and Ricky still held her hand to his chest.

"Am I interrupting something?" Jack ground out and Kim wished for the thousandth time that this day was over already.

"No, you are not. Ricky just told me that everyone was ready in the office," Kim pulled her hand out of Ricky's and marched past both boys into the office. She did not stop to see whether they followed her.

While waiting for boys to come, Kim checked her phone, which was on mute to see that there were at least twenty new messages from numbers she did not recognize and one from Milton. She opened it - and only because the whole day was insane she did not gasp out loud - and saw that the story about the three of them got a new name. They were Kicky. And Kicky speculations ran from her being a heartless whore, who used both boys to get ahead in life (an expected spin); them being a triad (how very explicit for teenagers); boys being a gay couple using her as a beard (very open minded); her being with Ricky but hiding it and using Jack as a beard, who agreed to this because of the exposure it would get him (very cynical). One fact no one disputed was that she was Bobby Wasabi's daughter and, while her looks and moral fiber were trashed to hell, no one questioned her black belt and general toughness. _Good god, people's imagination was limitless_.

Jack and Ricky came in a little later looking rumpled and both their hair was in disarray. She looked at them questioningly, but they both refused to look at her directly.

"I was able to pay off the guy with a video and the immediate concern about it is put to rest for now. Our next step is coordinated denials of the whole thing about the romantic entanglement between my client and Ms. Crawford. I know you don't have a representation right now, Ms. Crawford, so you have no way denying anything. Some would say that you can take to social media and do it yourself, but I would not recommend it. It takes a while to build a presence on various fora and it is also easy to imitate or hack. That leaves Messrs. Wasabi and Brewer. You both should deny any knowledge of the romantic history between Ricky and Ms. Crawford through your agents."

"I don't like it." Jack bit out and stared directly at Steve. "It leaves Kim without a voice in the situation and she would be subjected to all sorts of made up stuff."

"I agree. Kim's name would be dragged through mud." Ricky added to this and earned an inscrutable look form Jack.

"Ricky, may I remind you that Ms. Crawford is not my client. You should be thinking about your upcoming album!" Steve was patently unapologetic.

"Shut up Steve. You may not care what happens to her, but I do!" Ricky snarled.

At this Jack jumped up to him and hissed, "She is not yours to care about!"

"It does not matter. I still care and you can't order me about how I feel!" Ricky stood there toe to toe with Jack and it was like watching a car crash in slow motion.

"That's it!" Kim exclaimed and put herself in between two teens and pushed them away from each other. "I need to talk to Jack and Ricky alone... Please."

Steve and Bobby left the teen alone with Steve muttering about ungrateful clients and hormonal youngsters. Bobby just smiled at Kim and said, "I'll be just outside, in case of anything." It felt weird, but she kind of liked this Bobby. She did not mind being linked to him at all.

There was a long moment of heavy silence, when boys just glared at each other over Kim's head and she was so done with it all.

"Did you hear about Kicky?" she said to no one in particular and was rewarded with a _wha?_ from Jack and a choking sound from Ricky.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: So, our characters are getting some intimate time in the end of the chapter. As usual, I am not sure if any of it is good so I warn you.

* * *

After Kim's bombshell of the Kicky story, the boys sat, shocked into silence, and they were not spoiling for a fight anymore. Both went to look at the latest of the speculations on the Kicky and every now and then she could hear them muttering and cursing.

"So, I think we can stop trying to deny everything." At their looks of disbelief, she added quickly, "What I mean is that you can deny it, but it won't stop people and only would give fuel to all these crazy rumors about cover ups and beards." Kim announced into the silence and both boys looked at her with identical expression of confusion. She had the beginnings of an idea, but she was not sure if they'd go along.

"So what are you suggesting we do then?" Jack asked and she smiled because, whether he realized it or not, he was lumping the three of them into one group. Such a difference from earlier animosity.

"Well, they say that if you can't beat them, join them." She said cheekily and chuckled when both guys just stared at her like she was insane. "I mean that we should continue to confuse them. Let's go with the denial. It won't achieve much, but we would be on record. And we can then proceed being friends or, at least, appear friendly. They can't say anything about the triangle and rivalry if all three of us are together in the same place with Bobby in tow, unless it is to say we are a triad and that is a much smaller camp of people. This way we can claim being friends and there is not much they can say about romantic stuff if there isn't any visual proof."

She waited for them to absorb her crazy idea. Jack recovered first.

"You want us to claim that there is no love triangle, but there are three friends, who sometimes hang out together? What about the two of us? The word is already out there that we are dating. I thought we would not be hiding our relationship?" he said and she could have kissed him there for being so Jack about it.

"We will not be hiding. If asked, you and I can confirm that we are, in fact, dating. It's just that we should take an opportunity and present this notion that Ricky really is a friend to us both and there is no hidden affairs or pining. Neither between Ricky and I, nor between you and him," as she said, she carefully avoided looking at Ricky. After his confession and her refusal, she was not sure if he would want to be around either her or Jack. Granted, he was obviously convinced that he had a chance, and she really needed to talk to him about it, but that had to wait for now.

"Us being friends gives an explanation for why I was here before and why I am here now," Ricky said thoughtfully and then added. "We can even convince them that Jack and an I are friends." At Jack's questioning look, he said, "We did go to San Francisco for burgers once. Although I am not sure if I want that out there. It might give credence to the whole Ricky and Jack nonsense."

"It's Jicky or Jacky," Kim told them and the curse that Jack let out was so inventive that she was quite impressed.

"Oh... What about us? Is it Ri-Ki, Ki-Ri or Rim? No. Scratch that. That's actually awful." Ricky added and the three of them burst out laughing, the surrealism of the situation hitting them all.

When they calm down, Kim asked, "So, are we doing this?"

Ricky nodded and she and him turned to Jack.

He looked at them for a long time and finally said, "Yes."

"OK, then. Let's get the others in and tell them of our plan." Kim was feeling jittery. It was her idea , but now that it was about to become a reality, she was anxious.

"Wait," Ricky said suddenly. He pulled out his phone and quickly moved to stand by Jack and Kim. His intent became clear when he put his arm with a phone out and said, "Time for the first official Kicky selfie."

* * *

Bobby and Steve agreed to the plan, albeit reluctantly in case of Steve. With the bones of the plan worked out, they all decided to disburse for the day. Bobby offered Ricky and his entourage to stay at his place.

For her part, Kim was wrung out. She had so much emotional upheaval for one day, but she had a feeling it was not over yet. Jack was tense throughout the planning session and she couldn't blame him. What he saw in library didn't look good and Ricky gave him every reason to be jealous. Bobby decided to come with Kim to talk to her parents about the situation and the solution. They drove in silence. Jack was clenching his fists and grinding his teeth and Kim hated to see him this way. She placed a hand on his knee and squeezed it. When he looked at her she gave him a small smile and nudged his shoulder with hers. He didn't return the smile, but his eyes softened and his face no longer looked like it was carved out of stone.

Her house had a few photographers near the sidewalk, but they clearly stayed out of the property line. She guessed her dad had already talked to them. Bobby's limo rolled in and the ninjas filed out to form a bubble around her. Jack and Bobby brought in the rear, like sentinels. She felt odd going into a decidedly suburban house with bodyguards and ninjas. Maybe because the procession was worthy of a princess, the reporters kept quiet, only deigning to take pictures.

Her parents were quite put out by the whole situation. They couldn't blame Jack really, although her dad kept glaring at him. Her mom was intermittently in awe of the attention her daughter was getting, and mad at all the insults and insinuations. Bobby plead mea culpa over the father-daughter bit, but he also pledged his protection to Kim, both physically in the form of ninjas and in more intangible ways by offering his name and support to Kim.

When Kim told them of her plan to present the united front of friendship to counteract the crazy rumors her dad actually smiled. It being her plan, she was amazed that so many people thought that it was not entirely bonkers.

Bobby left and offered Jack a ride, but her dad told them that he needed to talk to Jack. It didn't bode well. Kim was dreading her own conversation with Jack and her dad's shovel talk wouldn't be helping.

When they were done, Jack was basically shown to the door by her dad and she only got to say a quiet bye to him. Her dad was serious and said that he was trusting her, but had no such faith in either of the boys. He basically told her that if he even suspected that Kim and Jack were taking advantage of his trust, she would be forbidden to talk to Jack.

Kim knew her dad was simply reacting to the roller coaster of this day's events and normally she would fight and defend herself and Jack, but she was so exhausted she just nodded her head and went to her room.

She spent the next hour setting up her Twitter and Instagram accounts. It was part of the plan. This would give her a voice in the situation. Her handle was simple and she hoped recognizable: blackbeltkimc. She had thought about it while her dad was threatening Jack. She wanted to keep it less personal and focus on her Karate, cheer-leading, volunteering and the Wasabi dojo. She didn't want it to be so obviously about her, but have enough details to hint at the going ons of her personal life.

 _Blackbeltkimc: hey there! Decided to join the 21st century. Can't wait for this Friday night game. We have new cheer routine planned. Go Seaford Whales!_

On her brand new Instagram she posted a candid picture of her cheer squad during practice.

She followed Ricky, Bobby and Jack, who soon followed her as well. She did the same with the school, cheer squad, hospital and the animal shelter.

Done with the her PR stuff, Kim finished her homework, showered and was ready for bed. She hoped that tomorrow would be better than today.

She was almost asleep when she heard thwacking noises on her window and when she opened the curtain she saw Jack standing in their backyard and throwing pebbles at her window. As tired as she was she was, the sight of him made her heart race. She opened her window and Jack scaled the brick side of the house using the drain pipe and cracks in brick. He reached the window in no time and threw himself into her room.

He straightened up and Kim was mesmerized by him anew. He is grown so much since he was a boy who caught her falling apple. He was tall, broad shouldered, his hard work at Karate paid off with impressive muscles. Gone was the slender boy. Now he was a young man, strong and imposing.

They stood in the middle of the room for a moment, just looking at each other. She finally broke the silence, "How are you?" Her voice was soft and she lifted her hand to trace his jaw that was still tense.

He caught her hand against his cheek with his own and said quietly, "I don't know. I am mad at rumors, mad at Bobby, furious with Steve, and I think I hate Ricky. But I am mostly worried about you, about us."

There it was. They were going to talk about the Ricky sized elephant in the room.

"You shouldn't be. I am apparently tough as nails and can take a little dirt flung at me. And us... There is nothing to worry about. Unless you want to stop seeing me because of the attention and scrutiny." She finished her speech, echoing the conversation in the locker room. Jack only squeezed her hand that by now dropped to his chest, still held tightly by one of his.

"No, I learned that lesson. It won't change how we feel and will make us miserable." She smiled at him and new hope was growing in her soul again. "I... I hate how much of Ricky we would have to see from now on. I know he wants you. He wants to take you from me... I am... not very good with words. I won't write a love song for you... I am not sure how to compete with that..." He wasn't looking at her now. He was staring at their joined hands like they would have all the answers. And in a way they did.

"Oh, Jack... You don't have to compete. There is no competition. It's always will be you for me. I only have seen Ricky a total of four times in my life. With you, there are thousand days, and moments, and adventures, and conversations. How can anyone compete with that? Not even the prettiest love song would be enough."

Jack looked at her like she was something he'd never seen before and then crashed his lips to Kim's and this time there's not hesitation, no waiting on either end. Their mouths slanted against each other instantly, tongues peeking out shyly at first before taking bolder strokes against one another. Each one of them took their turn exploring the other's mouth, learning what they taste like for the first time.

Kim's hands came up to card through Jack's shaggy hair and he groaned into her mouth when she tugged at the strands on the back of his neck. More, he needed more but it was hard to do when she was so much shorter than him. So without a second thought his hands slid down from where they somehow ended up at her waist, over the curve of her butt, pausing to kneed the flesh there for a second, before tugging at the backs of her thighs.

Kim took the hint and hopped up to wrap her legs around Jack's waist, pulling her mouth from his for a second and giving him perfect access to her neck. He quickly planted soft kisses up and down the delicate, pale column before sucking over her pulse point, causing her to whimper out.

"Jaaack..."

God, he's been having dreams of her gasping his name like that so many times, both in his sleeping and waking hours. It sounded so much better than in his mind and it sent a bolt of heat shooting straight through him. Her hands clung to the back of his head, holding his mouth against her neck as she panted above him. He nipped at the spot that he's been occupied with for the past minute, now a satisfying purple, the surrounding area red from his stubble rubbing against her skin.

Kim pulled his mouth back to hers, pressing urgent, open mouthed kisses against it as her hands slid down his neck and around his shoulders to slip under the collar of his shirt. Jack stumbled into the wall and pressed her into in with his body. His hands free, he slipped his shirt off, while she watched him with hooded eyes. The moment his shirt came off, her eyes widened and unabashedly traveled across his now exposed skin. Jack wasn't self conscious, but the moment was so heated and her appreciation so open, he was almost blushing. Jack took this as permission and he moved his hands to the bottom of her tank top and slowly lifted the garment off of her. She was blushing now and he was simply speechless, staring at her in awe. She was gorgeous. She was proportionate to her overall small frame and everything looked so delicate, and golden, and oh so beautiful. She moved her arms as if to cover herself and he finally recovered his wits. He stopped her hands and looked in her eyes. "You are beautiful. So, so beautiful. More beautiful than I imagined. And I imagined it a lot." He closed the distance and kissed her relishing in the full skin on skin contact between them. She returned her hands to his shoulders, trying to bring herself closer and inadvertently rocking her hips against his own. Jack's knees buckled beneath him and his breath caught as he mumbled against her mouth.

"Jesus, Kim."

He stumbled again, bumping into one of the bookshelves and knocking a book to the floor.

The noise pulled Jack and Kim apart. They made a mess on her floor, clothes and books in one heap.

But none of that mattered because there was rushing sound in Jack's ears that corresponded to the pounding of his heart. Every nerve ending in his body felt like a live wire.

"Maybe we should – " Kim paused, still trying to catch her breath through kiss-swollen lips and Jack was just staring at them thinking that he wanted to go back to kissing, "Maybe we shouldn't do this here."

Admittedly she was right. But it did not stop Jack from leaning back in and pressing his mouth to hers. The kiss is gentle, sweeter than the urgent, messy ones they shared less than a minute ago. He captured her bottom lip between his and sucked at it, nipping gently before lightly pressing his mouth fully back to hers.

They spent a few more minutes like that. Their kisses eventually reduced to small pecks until they parted completely, foreheads resting gently against one another and eyes still closed, basking in the blissful stupor they were both in.

"So, thousand days of memories? I knew you had a crush on me from the very beginning," Jack said playfully.

Kim pouted for a second and then just whispered against his ear causing him to squirm, "And you had a massive one on me."

Jack did not deny it. It was, after all, the truth.


	11. Chapter 11

Kim Crawford, blackbletkimc:

jackbrewer, therealrickyweaver, bobbywasabi, swagmasteryo, gingergenius _ahh, look at this puppy! too bad dad has allergies. want this one so much!_

Milton Krupnik, gingergenius:

Blackbeltkimc, _Kim, you should look into Portuguese water dogs. No reported dander allergies._

Jack Brewer, jackbrewer:

blackbeltkimc, _kim this is the third time you posted picture of a puppy or a kitten. if i wanted cute animals, i'd go on youtube. also, you are not getting a puppy from me. you dad will kill me._

The Great Bobby Wasabi, bobbywasabi:

blackbeltkimc, _I too seen enough of these animals. You know I am allergic as well. No puppies for you, young lady!_

Ricky Weaver, therealrickyweaver:

jackbrewer, bobbywasabi, _you think she'd be OK with a toy puppy?_

* * *

Re: Kicky

jbgirl: _wtf? what are these people on about? it's clear that Kick is as strong as ever. you saw that pic on JB's Instagram - it obviously was Kim. i mean it was from the back and above, but it was super close and blonde hair. and the tag: when you grew tall, but your friend didn't? remember, the tbt when he posted the pic of the Wasabi gang? he and Kim were, like, the same height then, but now he is much taller. yeah it was Kim._

bbelt: _i agree. there is no Kicky, just Kick and Ricky. did you see that tweet about the puppy though? do you think he is mb into her, but, like, staying away bc of Jack?_

jbgirl: _you should stop watching Korean teen drama shows._

bbelt: _pot meet kettle. you are the one who was all into the idea that Ricky and Jack fought over Kim._

* * *

Re: Kicky

rw4ever: _i don't believe it for a second that Ricky is gay. i mean there is nothing wrong with that, but he was always into girls._

weavermagic: _mb he is bi. it happens. plus, any guy would go gay for Jack. did you see that post on Kim's Instagram of him doing the staff routine? that guy is ripped. she is only lucky bitch._

* * *

Seaford High Facebook:

We are pleased to announce that our cheer squad received an unexpected donation from Seaford's very own Bobby Wasabi. This donation is most appreciated and would allows us to expand the squad and introduce the second string squad of the younger students. Let's all thank our donor and wish our cheer squad success in the upcoming competition!

Seaford Whales Facebook:

The game on Friday was an incredible opportunity for our team and their opponents, Swarthmore's football team, to showcase their prowess to a much larger audience. Not only Mr. Bobby Wasabi was present, so was a well known pop star - Mr. Ricky Weaver. it was especially gratifying to see our brave athletes win the game to a thunderous cheer of the entire stadium.

* * *

 _We at GossipGirls are at a loss. When we initially reported that there was a love triangle between Ricky Weaver, Jack Brewer and Kim Crawford, aka Kim Wasabi, we were confident that our sources were true. We are now presented with a situation, where we migh have to admit that we may have mis-characterized the situation. It appears that these three young stars are not in a messy triangle, but rather are good friends. Consider the evidence. Not only Bobby Wasabi denied that he is the father of Kim Crawford (although, confusingly, they appear to be fairly close to each other), but both Ricky and Jack denied any romantic entanglements between Kim and Ricky or Jack and Ricky. The only couple that does exist is Jack and Kim. They appear to be shy of the PDA, but their affection is obvious if you only scroll through the pictures of them in public or on their social media spaces._

 _This would be the official story and it is certainly supported by official statements and pictures. However, some doubts still linger. For one, Bobby's personal bodyguards, his ninjas, have been seen following Kim when she is in public. He also donated generously to the cheer squad of the Seaford High, where Kim is a member. Ricky has been to the football game at Jack's and Kim's high school. Jack is not on the team, but Kim is on a cheer squad. Both Jack and Ricky were among the loudest supporters and fans of the cheer squad. Witnesses told us that when Kim performed one of the jumps, Ricky shouted his admiration and received what one witness called a "death glare" from Jack._

* * *

Things have settled into a new norm for Kim. She had to contend with the fact that she was a minor, Z-list celebrity. Perhaps it was the novelty of the story about Kicky, but people were interested in her and her average life.

She was eternally grateful for Bobby's ninjas and the rumor that she was his daughter. The reporters took pictures, but kept their distance and did not dare come too close to her, her house or the school. She was faced with more of the whispering and gawking by fellow students, but it died down after a day and a half. She wasn't doing anything unusual and her and Jack kept the PDA to a minimum. Her biggest confrontation came when she faced off the cheer squad. Donna and her posse were not too quiet commenting on her life.

"I must say that I don't get what Ricky sees in her. Hell, I don't get what Jack sees in her!" Donna was none too subtle.

"Well, you haven't seen what she can do. Maybe it's amazing." Lindsay added with a knowing smirk.

"Lindsay, you wanna say that to my face? I am not black belt for nothing." Kim challenged the brunette girl. Lindsay visibly shrank away. Kim went to glare at Donna, "and you, Donna? Wanna see what Jack sees in me?"

"Don't pay any attention to them, Kim. They are just jealous." Grace said casually walking by and grabbing Kim by the elbow. "Hey, I wanted to say it was brilliant that you posted about us and the game on your accounts. Ricky actually liked our squad practice pic. Can you believe it? There are like hundreds of likes and bunch of people said they'd be at the game."

Just like that the mood has changed and the rest of the squad came up chattering and excited about the game and the new fame.

She had a lot of followers on both Twitter and Instagram. She stayed true to her plan and never directly discussed relationships. There was a lot of questions and disparaging posts on both accounts, but she ignored most of them and would sometimes cheekily respond with cute pics of shelter animals. There was once even a small post on BuzzFeed about her gentle, but firm, way of dealing with haters. On a plus side, almost all the animals that she featured on her accounts ended up being adopted, because people saw them and fell in love.

Ricky had a busy schedule, so he only was physically present for the Friday night game that week when the Kicky story broke. He came for the game and afterwards the three of them plus Milton and Jerry went to Phil's. It was all very well documented and reported widely. Phil was on seventh heaven and was rhapsodizing the young star and his friends. Kim felt a new respect for all the celebrities that had to endure this kind of attention while doing everyday things. She could not eat for fear of an unflattering photo of herself with an open mouth and half masticated meal. Wasabi boys were putting in an effort to be friendly with Ricky, but it was obvious that neither Jack, nor Ricky were getting along. Jack sat next to her. Jerry and Milton were opposite them. And Ricky sat at the side of the booth. Although he was not seating close to her, she was uncomfortably aware of his constant stare. So was Jack. He was getting more and more pissed off and only Kim's hand on his thigh kept him in check. By the time the meal was over, Kim was happy to be done with their PR event.

Afterwards, when they were alone at his house - because his parents were much more lenient with the time they spent alone - Jack was ranging about Ricky and his designs on Kim. She listened to this for a few moments and then shut him up by kissing him soundly. He was all to eager to make out to continue his rant.

He was called by the studio again and had scheduled an official audition opposite some possible cast mates. It seems that the studio green-lighted his project and Kim was happy that his personal life hasn't interfered with his career. He asked her to come along, but she wasn't sure if it would distract him or add more speculation to the rumor mill. In the meantime, she helped him read for the role. As it happened, Jerry took a picture of them reading in the dojo and posted it on his own Instagram. Swagmasteryo and Gingergenius were also moderately popular accounts. Jerry's leaned towards food and dance, and Milton was almost exclusively science and Karate. This post was one of the few of Jack and Kim together and it was popular for a while.

Then came a lead single from Ricky's new album. And if she thought that the song In My Dreams was bad, this song was even worse. Called _Fever_ , it was a more upbeat number that had the lyrics:

You are a splinter in my hand

You are a fever of my brain

My soul is burning, burning

My heart is hurting, hurting

You're a fever, You're a fever, you're a fever

And I hate you

You're a fever, you're a fever, you're a fever

And I love you.

Once again the internet went into a meltdown. Who was Ricky singing about was once again a trending topic. This time, people were more or less in two camps: it was either about her or about Jack. Ricky called before the release and warned her of the possible interpretation of the song.

"I just wanted you to be prepared. People will read into it. Steve is happy of course. Such publicity for free, but I know you are uncomfortable with this..."

Once again, they were hovering on the edge of him talking about his feelings. Kim felt like it would be fairer if they talked about it face to face, rather than on the phone. She must have been silent too long, because he went on, "Look, I won't say that it is personal or anything. I would be out promoting it a lot, so be prepared that you and Jack would be brought up in interviews."

"OK. Thanks for the heads up. And good luck."

"Thanks. Hey when you are next in LA? We can hang out, like Kicky and all..."

"I don't know. Jack has an audition soon. So maybe then."

"Let me know. Or, I guess, I'll learn about from your accounts. You know I check them out every day. I like all the animal pics. And my crew likes the cheerleaders." He added with humor and Kim could feel the shift in the tone of the conversation.

"Your crew and most of the world likes those pictures."

* * *

 _BuzzFeed_

 _Ricky Is Adding Some Heat to His Music_

 _Can we talk about Ricky's new single, first off the upcoming album? It isn't In My Dreams, which was incredibly haunting and beautiful song of love lost or unrequited. The new song, Fever, is more of the passionate cry than a ballad. Ricky is raw and infatuated, his voice has a jagged quality to it and the lyrics are literally scorching hot. If In My Dreams was a sad and wistful love confession, Fever is a tortured declaration of love and desire. Whatever is going on in his life right now, it is a great inspiration for a good music._

 _Comments:_

lucyincali: OMG! I keep imagining Ricky with Jack when I hear this song! so hottt!

samantha480008: no way! it's about Kim and how he can't be with her, but still wishes. That's why "I hate you" and "I love you."

doodlingonmargins: or, this song was written long time ago, by someone else and has nothing to do with his life right now. get a grip y'all!


	12. Chapter 12

Jack was fuming. The Kicky story and Kim's plan made it a necessity to interact with Ricky, even if it was the last thing Jack wanted to do. Everything about the other guy irritated Jack. When they were just fourteen, he was an entitled little prick and a sleazbag to boot. He may have been talented, although truthfully Jack did not think so (and for the record, no straight guy did), but he was already spoiled by fame and easy attention.

When they met at the dojo the first time after LA, Jack had some grudging acceptance of Ricky's staying power and obvious respect for Kim. When he came out with that ridiculously sappy (and really, how dared he to sing about Kim saying words of love?) song, Jack went back to being irritated with that walking hair gel commercial. He suspected that Ricky was into Kim (who wouldn't? she was amazing), but they just started out their own relationship and Jack was euphoric and did not mind the silly story about Ricky and the mystery blonde. Some part of him was obviously jealous, but a larger part of him was content with being the only one in Kim's life.

Then came the Kicky story. He would admit that he credited Ricky with some selfless motives when he and his manager came and try to work out the solution. It was obvious that Ricky cared about Kim. But that went only so far... Ricky cared about Kim. He _cared_ about Kim. At that moment Jack knew that the stupid song was about Kim. And that Ricky wasn't going to give up easily. Whatever growing up he did that made him appreciate a girl like Kim, Jack did not think that Ricky's nature changed. He wanted something and would go for it.

When Jack discovered Kim and Ricky in the library in a position that was fairly telling, he snapped. He and Ricky exchanged words. Jack would admit that he might have threatened to break Ricky's face, hands and legs, if Ricky tried to put moves on Kim again. What happened afterwards was entirely Ricky's fault. He taunted Jack, saying that Jack was only so jealous, because he was not secure enough in Kim's feelings for him. That Jack was so pissed off, because he - Ricky - was a serious threat. So they fought a little. Jack was proud that he held off from doing much damage to Ricky. It would have been too obvious if Ricky showed up with a shiner and he with bruised knuckles.

Then Kim came out with the plan and suddenly Jack had to tolerate that bleached doll-head in his life and to pretend (he was sure it was some of his best acting work) to be friends with Ricky. Of course, the gel-commercial would be all for this friends nonsense. It gave him legitimate opportunity to be around Kim and Jack could say nothing about it! And how he used every chance to taunt Jack! He was the loudest when applauding the cheerleaders at the game, he re-tweeted Kim's tweets, he offered the toy puppy (and had the audacity to be ostensibly talking to him and Bobby about it!), and now there was another song! Equally stupid, but this time the song was more dangerous in Jack's opinion. If the previous sappy song was more of the pining after someone hopelessly, this song was more of the wanting that someone badly. If this song was written by Ricky, and written recently, it was bad. Ricky all but declared that he wanted Kim.

Of course, Jack knew that Kim liked him, not Ricky. And he trusted her. It's just he did not trust Ricky at all. He brought her home after the practice at the dojo the day the song was released, deftly avoiding two photographers that hang around the mall. They were in her room and for once they were alone at the house. Jack was still mulling the song and Ricky's intentions, and Kim must have sensed his mood, because she was quiet and went to check her accounts. She was muttering about the overall stupidity of the internet collective and their lack of interest in things other than fictitious celebrity life.

"Its not fake," Jack suddenly declared and caused Kim to jump a little.

"What isn't?"

"He likes you and this song is about you!" Jack was wound up and couldn't stop himself.

"Jaaack... We've been over this. He does not like me. Not really. Maybe he has an idea of a girl he wants and he maaaaybe thinks I fit the bill, but it really isn't me he likes." Kim was patient. She saw his mood, she knew he was prone to jealousy and this situation was terrible.

"I don't care about his complicated inner life!" Jack bit out sarcastically. "I can't stand that guy and, even if you right, he wants you. Kim Crawford. For yourself and as stand-in for his dream girl."

"So what? I don't want him! Unless... Jack, I know you are jealous, but you trust me, right?" Kim was looking at him with huge eyes and soft and open expression and, wow, how did she do that? All fight left Jack at the look on her face.

"I do. I don' trust _him_ at all." Jack said more evenly now and took her hand.

She got off the chair at her desk and stood next to him and then raised on her tip toes to whisper, "I can take care of myself. And Ricky. You know I can. I did that years ago and can do it again." She finished with a small kiss on the side of his mouth.

She started to pull away, but he just grabbed her neck from behind and brought her to him, smashing his lips against hers.

It was clumsy and it was desperate, him wanting to be reassured and him being grateful.

He licked her lower lip and she gave him entrance, and he enjoyed how her tongue felt against his, massaging one another. His entire body was reacting, going zero to hot in seconds.

Their lips caressed and tasted each other and soon enough his hand left her neck and traveled down her spine on its way to her butt, that he grabbed and brought her even closer to him. They stumbled and Jack sat on her bed, but did not let go of her or her lips and she just climbed him, without a second thought. He knew she could feel him grow harder, when she straddled him and her hands found their way under his shirt, raining maddening touches on his torso and chest. He groaned and bucked under her and she gasped, and he could feel the heat spread through him, clouding his mind. There was only her, her hands, her lips, her voice...

He grabbed her butt even harder and ground her into him, desperate for more and terrified that he would scare her away. Her breath stuttered and she dropped her head on his chest and at first he thought he was being shy or scared, but the her hands went to grab the bottom of his shirt and pulled it off of him. She put her hands back on him, her touch feather light and almost painful, his skin was so sensitized. She was kissing his neck and her hands traveled lower to touch his pecs, then abs and he could feel the muscle contract and release at the attention. Unable to stand this pleasant torture, he grabbed her hands away and hugged her to him, as the same time twisting his body to turn them around. It was her now lying on the bed and he was hovering above, his knees on the floor.

He looked at her, with her hair fanned around her head, her eyes half-closed, but oh so bright, her cheeks flushed, lips red and swollen, and he was mesmerized.

He kissed her softly and his hands pulled her top off to reveal a white bra with little pink roses on the silky surface. He could not help himself. His fingers moved along the edges of the bra and he could see goosebumps forming where he touched her. She was breathing deep and the raise and all of her chest was hypnotic. Like in trance he moved one cup down and his fingers now touched her uncovered breast and the reaction was amazing. Kim whimpered, pushed her chest into his hand and the little pink nipple was now a hard point. His mouth dropped to taste it and he was overwhelmed with all the sensations. The skin was soft, warm, it smelled like raspberries and tasted like heaven. It felt like the softest of silk, but underneath it was firm and oh so delicate. She was making those mewling noises again, bucking under him and he wanted more.

He must have said it, because Kim sort of choked and said quietly _yes_ and he could only blame the decided lack of blood flow to his brain as to why it took him some time to catch on to what she said. And once he did, all thoughts just narrowing down to Kim' and how she felt. He worked the bra off and now was had repeated his attentions on both of them. It was amazing.

"God, you are so beautiful and all mine. I have dreamt of you like this since I learned girls did not have cooties. You're better than any wet dream." He was whispering hotly into her skin and Kim was now making keening noises. His mouth drifted lower and lower untill he reached her jeans.

He paused, painfully turned on, but this was a big step and he waited until Kim lifted her head, looked at him and nodded. He made quick work of her pants and pulled them down. Her panties matched the bra and had a little bow in front. He kissed the skin along the edge and planted another kiss on the bow, taking it in his teeth. He started pulling her panties down, when she hurriedly said, "wait, Jack, I am not sure I want..." She trailed off and he waited again for her to gather her thoughts. "It's just... It would be first time anyone... Ugh... I am so awkward..."

Jack thought he knew what she was trying to say. "Its OK. It is a first time for everything for me as well. We don't have to do anything you don't want." He was horny and stopping was the last thing be wanted to do, but this was Kim. He would do anything for her.

"I... Just not all the way..." Kim mumbled blushing furiously and going so far to cover her eyes with her hands. She was too cute. Jack knew embarrassment and he knew it could kill the mood quicker than her dad with a shotgun. So he went back and kissed her deeply, invading her mouth and returning his hands on her breasts. She was responded quickly, the embarrassment fading and replaced with the heated words and kisses. She moved her hands down his back and slid the fingers into his pants. He really didn't need any more stimulation and quickly moved to where he was not long ago, kneeling in front of her panties covered pussy. He could see she was turned on, if the wet patch in the middle was any indication. Enormously proud of himself, Jack moved his fingers into the elastic and pulled the garment down her legs. When he was done he sat back and stared. In fascination, in admiration, to remember this moment properly, to thank gods for having this chance with Kim. Really, he needed this moment.

Kim must have grown self-conscious and she tried to close her legs only Jack was there and he put his hands down on her thighs. "Don't. You are gorgeous. Perfect. Pretty." He was saying this and interspersing his words with wet kisses on top of her thighs, bringing him closer and closer. When he finally kissed her there, and Kim was covering her face again, he whispered _delicious_ right into her center and she practically cried _Jack,_ just as she bucked into his mouth.

He needed no more encouragement and his fingers slipped through her slit, being welcomed by her wetness. She was tight. And hot. And silky. And perfect. He was going on instinct and some online research (porn, just porn), but he must have been doing something right, because she was mewiling again and writhing under his tongue and fingers and it was so hot. He said it, right into her, licking at her again and she just cried _Jaaaack_ and her walls spasmed wildly around his fingers.

He stared at her, at her face, as she calmed down, and couldn't believe his life right now. He just gave Kim an orgasm and though he was painfully hard he relished this moment like one of his greatest achievements.

"It's so much better when someone else does it for you," Kim mumbled and Jack didn't think he could get more turned on, but he did.

"What do you think of when you do that?" ha rasped out of his dry mouth.

"You. And your abs. And your hands. And now I will think of your fingers and mou..." Kim didn't finish because Jack lunged at her and kissed her hard, all teeth and tongue and heavy breathing. He was rubbing himself on her and she held onto him unable to move, he was clutching her so tight.

He finally relented and said harshly, "you are such a tease. I won't be able to think of anything else at nights. You are already in most of my dreams. Now, I'll think of you like this even when I am awake."

Instead of answering, Kim moved her hands down his front and slipped one of them into his pants and underwear. When she touched him, he hissed and was now breathing through clenched teeth. She scooted down for easier access and wrapped her hand around him. He stilled and his hands buckled under him and he lay heavy on her. She couldn't do much in this position. Frustrated, she slithered from under him and once she was on her knees on the floor, she turned him around. Jack was now sitting on the floor, back against the bed and his erection was tenting his pants. She slid his pants down with his help and sat straddling his thighs. It was her turn to look at him in fascination. If he was self-conscious, it did not affect his erection, and she went to touch him again. His entire body jerked at the contact and Kim was a little turned on by how much she affected him. She wasn't sure what to do and looked at him askance. He wrapped his larger hand around hers and moved it showing her what to do. They started slowly and once Kim got it right, he let go, dropping his head on the bed behind him, the sinew of his neck standing out as he enjoyed her attentions. He was thrusting up now and Kim sped up her movements and as rewarded with his growls and moans. His hand reached up to cup her breast and she leaned in to kiss him, and somewhere in the middle of it, he jerked mightily, bit her lip a little and came.

* * *

Blackbeltkimc: today was a great day.

Gingergenius to blackbeltkimc: it was. We had learned about quantum mechanics and the chemistry test was surprisingly challenging.

Swagmasteryo at blackbeltkimc, gingergenius: I get why the nerd thinks it was a good day, but you Kim?

Jackbrewer at blackbeltkimc, gingergenius, swagmasteryo: I agree with Kim. Today was good.

Swagmasteryo at jackbrewer: dude, we know you are whipped. Don't let the rest of the world know.

Therealrickyweaver at blackbeltkimc: hey, I got a surprise for you. Should be there soon.

* * *

 _The Inquisitr_

 _Is there tension between Jack Brewer and Kim Wasabi?_

 _Sources close to the couple claim that Ricky Weaver is causing troubles for the young couple. We all know that the three are friends and that Jack and Kim's are together. But it would appear that Ricky might want to change the status quo. His newly released song is making all, and aparently Jack to wonder, does Ricky pine for Kim? Stay tuned._

* * *

Blackbeltkimc at therealrickyweaver: got the macaroons. They are delicious.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I spent three chapters on one day and I was planning to move on with a plot, but then the last chapter was purely Jack and Kim fun time. So, now for some plot.

* * *

When Kim saw that message from Ricky about a surprise, she was hesitant at first. Jack was still uncomfortable with Ricky and questioned his intentions. Deciding that its better to be open with him about this, she showed him the message. Jack scoffed at the notion of Ricky sending her surprises, but riding high on their new level of intimacy, he shrugged off the jealousy.

The next day, when he came to pick her up to go to school, Kim saw a pretty box of macaroons on the doorsteps. So, this was the surprise. It was sweet, literally and figuratively. She offered them to Jack, who refused to touch anything that came from "that doll head" and Kim just laughed at his predictable attitude. In school she shared them with Jerry and Milton, but she ended up eating most of them.

She was at the gym for the PE class and they were playing dodge ball. Wasabis were on the same team and were squared off against the team of mostly the Black Dragons. This added a lot more tenacity and competitiveness to the game. Both teams were good and Kim was winded by the end of it. She sat back on the bench afterwards to catch her breath and was looking at boys, who were just roughhousing on the court. They were carefree and laughing. At some point Jerry jumped on Jack's back and Kim tried to yell something about horses and cowboys, but she was really short of breath and was getting light-headed. She caught Jack's eyes and saw like in slow motion as his smile faded and he was turning towards her, shaking Jerry off and coming towards her. He was saying something, but she could not hear behind the rushing sound in her ears and then the whole world tilted and went black.

* * *

She woke up in the hospital bed to a beeping sound and a room full of people. There was the nurse adjusting something in her IV drip; there was Bobby talking quietly to Rudy; there were her parents, mom with red eyes, holding her hand, and dad talking on the phone; there were Jerry and Milton sitting quietly in the corner, Jerry with headphones on and Milton was reading a book. And there was Jack... He was sitting by her side, holding her other hand and was staring at their joint hands, deep in thought. She tried to say something, but her throat was so dry she only managed a croaking sound. The entire room stilled at the sound and then erupted in noise and movement. Her mom was crying and hugging her around the middle and Jack brought her hand up and pressed to his mouth. Her dad was telling the nurse to bring the doctor and she scurried away. Jerry and Milton jumped up and were nervously smiling. Bobby and Rudy stood up as well and were now hovering by the foot of the bed.

Only now Kim realized that the room was significantly larger and she knew it was one of the private suites. It must have been Bobby, who arranged it for her. She tried to speak again, but only managed a croak. Jack grabbed a glass full of ice chips for her and she was grateful for this.

By the time she quenched her thirst the doctor showed up, looking at her chart and making notes. She looked up Kim and smiled, "You gave us quite a scare, Kim."

"What happened? I remember the dodge ball and the gym," she turned to look at Jack, who was looking like he was physically in pain. He was silent, clearly struggling for words, and it was Jerry, who filled in the silence.

"You fainted. Right there in the middle of the gym. At first we thought you just slipped off the bench, but Jack saw you faint and tried to catch you. Milton called the ambulance."

"Kim, did you feel anything before the fainting?" the doctor was looking at her attentively.

"I was short of breath and light headed after the game. That's why I sat down. Why? What is wrong with me?"

"Given your overall excellent health, and such sudden onset of symptoms, we can rule out most long-term illnesses," the doctor said. "We are looking at some environmental agents that could have caused this reaction. It looked almost like the allergic reaction, but there was no anaphylactic aspect that usually comes with the allergies."

Milton looked pensive and then said, "So if it wasn't the allergens, then you are looking at the poisons, correct? But what kind of poison is common enough that Kim would be exposed to, that would also cause such a specific pulmonary reaction? And why there ware no other victims?"

"Poisons?" "What?" "How?" came from the entire room and there was a moment, when the doctor just waited out everyone's' shocked reaction. For her part, Kim was stunned.

"I would not use the term poison just yet. It makes everything sound so sinister. We are looking at possible substance that Kim inadvertently ingested that caused this reaction. And we caught the illness early to prevent further possible symptoms from developing. We would need to run analysis on the contents of your stomach and run a blood panel to see what happened. I think you would have to stay here overnight for observations and, if there are no new symptoms, you may leave the hospital tomorrow. In the meantime, try to remember everything you ate or drank today." She left the room and Kim was still processing the information to properly acknowledge her.

"I would believe that it was food from our cafeteria - Lord knows how horrible it is - but none of us got sick," Milton said to the room and Jerry was nodding along.

"And we ate the same breakfast you did, honey, so it can't be our food," he mom was saying and brushing the hair out of Kim's face.

"Did you drink or eat anything that wasn't cafeteria food or from the house? Did you give her anything?" her dad's was looking at Jack distrustful and weary.

"Stop it, Dad! Lay off Jack," Kim snapped at him and Jack squeezed her hand in thanks.

"It was those macaroons from that gel boy!" Jack suddenly said. "You ate the whole box by yourself and now you are sick. I knew we should not trust him!" He made as if to stand up and go find Ricky right then and there.

Kim held onto his hand as tightly as she could, "Jack, maybe it were the macaroons, but Jerry and Milton each had at least a piece and they are not sick. Also, Ricky did not prepare them. It could be just the bakery's fault."

Bobby added, "you should get your blood drawn too, boys. Kim is right. Ricky probably had nothing to do with it. Take it from me, food poisoning is not that unusual. You should know this. You and Jerry got sick the same time I did."

With that the boys, Bobby and Rudy all left and Kim was now facing her parents and Jack.

"You should ask Ricky which bakery he used to get the sweets from, Kim. Jack, come with me. We need to talk." Kim's dad told them both clearly expecting no objections.

Kim did not like it. Her dad's dislike of Jack was beyond the point of being comical and was now upsetting her. She sighed and dropped back into the bed with and groan.

"Be patient with your dad, Kim. It is hard for him to see someone else being so close to you." Her mom was right of course. Kim knew it. But it was making her life difficult now and she was tired and cranky.

She picked her phone to see if she could message Ricky only to find that there was already a message from him.

therealrickyweaver at blackbeltkimc: _I did not send you macaroons. It was somebody else. My surprise is much better._

* * *

Jack was itching to do something, anything, to help Kim. He never felt this helpless before than when he saw her list sideways and fall like a ragdoll. He ran and still was too late to catch her and then he was terrified. Like can't breath, can't think terrified, when he saw and heard her labored breathing. He shouted at no one in particular to call the ambulance and then picked her up and carried her to the nurse's station. The nurse could not do anything really. He held onto Kim tightly until the paramedics arrived and then he had to be told to let her go. He drove in the back of the ambulance with her, paramedic's feeble attempt to stop him were unheard, stoic by all appearances, but terrified inside.

Kim was always so full of life and her could not remember the last time she was sick. Seeing her pale, barely breathing, with a oxygen mask on her face, made him sick. She was taken to the emergency room of the hospital and he could not follow her there. Once she was taken in, he suddenly found himself without anything to do, to hold. He could feel the fear for her mounting in him with each second and he was battling it, afraid to think anything because it would vocalize, even if only in his mind, the horrible outcomes. He had to keep busy.

He called her mom, who started crying and pleading and he had to hang up because it was terrible and the fear was almost overwhelming him at that moment. He called Bobby and Rudy, who were suitably shocked and concerned and promised to come right away. He checked in with the guys, who told him they were on the way. Once the immediate tasks were completed, Jack was left with little to do, but to wait and he was struggling to keep his mind away from the horrible could be's. He paced, he drank coffee, he tried to read, he tried to watch TV. When Milton and Jerry showed up, he was grateful for the distraction. However, the first thing out of Jerry's mouth was, "Hey, what's wrong with Kim? Is it serious? I never saw someone look so pale. Like a vampire. And the breathing..."

He trailed off after catching Jack's dark look and edged away from the black belt. "I mean, it could be nothing. Maybe its just her time of the month or, you know, maybe she is dieting, like those girls..."

He was stopped by Milton's punch to the shoulder and a hissed, "Shut up, Jerry, or I'll make you."

Jack was unconsciously advancing on his curly-haired friend and Milton stepped in front of Jerry with hands raised up, placating. "Jack, you know he is an idiot. He does not know what he is saying half the time. Kim will be fine..."

Jack stopped in his tracts, finally realizing what he was doing and he turned away abruptly from both boys. He breathed in and out harshly, but it was not helping. Kim usually would touch his hand to keep his temper in check, but she was not here. She was there, on the gurney, barely breathing. His own breathing sped up and he was shaking and could hear distantly that Milton was saying something to him and he just could not anymore... He punched the nearby wall with a shout, leaving a small dent on the wall and his knuckles torn.

Finally, everyone arrived. Kim's mom was quietly crying and her dad was brusquely asking questions. They sat in the waiting room silent for the most part. When the doctor came out, they all stood up. She was confused for second seeing so many people, "Kim Crawford's family?" At all the nods around she went on, "Kim's airways were swollen, but it wasn't an allergic reaction. Her blood pressure was very low as well, which explains sudden fainting. We helped her breath and brought the pressure up. We also pumped her stomach. Blood test for most common drugs came negative, so we would have to wait for a full blood panel. She is stable right now, sleeping. Once she is in her room, you can come and stay with her."

"Drugs?!" Her dad was livid. "Kim doesn't do drugs."

"Of course," the doctor was diplomatic. "But she may not have known that she consumed drugs."

"What? Like roofied?" Rudy said and added, "it is possible."

"Bobby stepped in and asked for a private room to be arranged and asked, " Could it be a very bad food poisoning?"

"We are checking for everything right now."

The doctor left and they waited again, untill the nurse showed them to Kim's room. She was less pale, but looked drawn and IV drips in her veins made it look like she was seriously sick. Jack sat by her side, oblivious to others and held her hand. And waited.

When she woke up, it felt like he finally could draw a deep breath. She was awake and talking and asking questions. He tried to speak, but the memories of her falling and struggling to breathe was too much and he was glad when Jerry spoke.

Then the discussion about poisoning began and Kim's dad was glaring at him again. Kim's temper flared and she was defending him from the sick bed and he was so grateful that she was OK.

Of course that's when her dad decided he needs to talk to Jack.

He stepped outside and stood silent waiting for Kim's dad to begin.

"What happened to your hand?" Mr. Crawford said pointing at Jack's right hand.

"The wall and I had a disagreement."

"You always so hot tempered?"

"No. Today there were special circumstances."

"Right. About that..." Mr. Crawford fell silent again and Jack was kind of fed up with all the talks and threats and distrust.

"Mr. Crawford, you know that I..." Jack was interrupted.

"Look, Jack. Let me get this out first." He paused again and then with a great sigh said, "I am sorry I was hard on you. Kim is my only child and I know that with you it's serious... But you are not a bad kid and I know you care about her. Being with you and because of that Weaver guy, she gets a lot of hate right now. I am not as savvy with technology, but I see what is being handled about her out there. She won't say anything to us, but maybe she would to you. I am worried about her and these people who hate her... You take care of her, when I can't."

With that her stepped back into the room leaving a speechless Jack behind.

* * *

The next day Kim was released and doctors isolated the toxin that caused these extreme reaction. Kim, Milton and Jerry all had this toxin in there system and the question was whether it was some sloppiness on the bakery's part or a tainted ingredient.

* * *

Re: Kim Crawford/Wasabi

Jbgirl: did you hear about Kim fainting and being taken to the hospital? I wonder what was wrong..

Bbelt: yeah, everybody saw that pic of Jack carrying her in his arms. Ahhhh...

Jbgirl: I have to say that looked romantic, if it wasn't for the fact that she was taken to the hospital.

Bbelt: and then Bobby showed up and her dojo friends. I don't believe that Bobby isn't her dad. He obviously cares too much about her.

Jbgirl: and Jack was there all night. The pics of them leaving the hospital showed he was still wearing the PE uniform.

Bbelt: you think she is pregnant?

Jbgirl: shut up! No way!

Bbelt: I am just saying.

* * *

Blackbeltkimc at therealrickyweaver: I still haven't gotten your surprise.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: **WARNING** : There is mention of animal cruelty in this chapter. Please be advised.

 _WeaverWorld dot com_

 _We have new pics of Ricky behind the scene during his appearance on Good Morning America. On air he performed his new single **Fever** and it was, as always, good. He was asked about the rumors surrounding his friendship with Kim Crawford (Wasabi) and Jack Brewer. Apparently, they knew each other for a while and Jack even helped Ricky to ditch paparazzi when he was in Seaford first time. He laughed off any ideas about the song inspiration and just said that any artist finds source for his art in his own life and experiences. So, take it as you will._

 _But that is not the news. When he was backstage he got some bad news and was seen trying to call someone. He then left the studio very quickly and was last seen typing messages while being driven away. Take a close look. He is obviously very worried. We can only speculate, but this concerned behavior coincides with the news about Kim's recent fainting spell and trip to the hospital. It is, of course, not unusual for a person to be worried about his friend. Would we see him visiting his sick friend at her home? Time will tell._

* * *

blackbeltkimc at blackbeltkimc: _Thank you everyone for your concern. I am well. It was a bad case of food poisoning and everything is fine now._

Blackbeltkimc: [picture of Kim in school, near lockers, smiling with one thumb up.]

* * *

Kim was constantly amazed by how many people were interested in her. She was initially convinced that the only people following her were there to get a some scoop on the relationship drama, rumors, Ricky or Jack. And there were a fair number of those. But she apparently had some genuine fans? friends? She was not sure what to call her online following, thinking that she was not a real celebrity and therefore the term fan was misplaced. But among those who followed her, there were girls interested in cheer leading and martial arts. There were people who were animal lovers and praised her work at the animal shelter. There were fans of Jack, who thought she was good for him. There were Bobby's fans, who somehow thought they'd support him by supporting her. It was this camp of friendlies that were concerned about her health and she was deeply touched by their good wishes.

Of course, she also had quite a few haters. Most would just leave a nasty comment or two, trashing her, her looks, morals, mental capacity and everything in between. She sometimes struggled to ignore it, to not let it get to her. Some days were good, and some - pretty bad. Among the group of haters, there were few that were consistent and constant. She tried to block those, but they would simply come back with the new handle. By now, she could recognize the tone and the language unique to those few. She was convinced that most of those were very young people, pissed off at her for being with their idols - Ricky or Jack, or because they did not think she deserved any attention - useless as she was in their minds. This camp of people was quite verbose when the news of her sickness broke (and really, how was it her life now that her being sick with food poisoning was some sort of news?). One user went as far as saying that they wished she did not get the help and just died. They also wished that the same happened to her joke of a father.

She would admit that she was very hurt when she read that. How could anyone hate her so much as to wish her dead? Jack, who was constantly near her and who apparently now had her dad's blessing, was good at distracting her from all the negativity. She could see that he was mad at all the hate, but managed to swallow it and to focus on her. Yeah, some days were good.

Ricky called her soon after she woke up in the hospital. He wanted to come immediately, but his schedule was too tight and he settled on a phone call after she reassured him. He swore that macaroons were not from him and she was glad for it. It would have been very hard for Jack to even pretend to be cordial with Ricky.

Jack was always protective and took the mantel of a hero very seriously. This illness made him a little intense. He was constantly hovering, asking her is she was fine, if she needed anything and promising that he would protect her from anything. She was not sure what he went through while she was unconscious, but if his hand and the way Jerry and Milton treated her and him were any indication, he took it badly.

Since Ricky did not send the sweets, everyone was at a loss why someone would hand deliver pastry to Kim's house. Was it a mistake? Were macaroons meant for someone else? The box itself had no identifiers to hint at the sender or even the bakery that prepared the sweets.

* * *

therealrickyweaver at blackbeltkimc: you should have gotten the surprise by now. Did you not like it? I followed your friend's advice. Talk to me.

* * *

The second day she was back at school, Kim walked to her locker room with Jack following her like a guard. They got some curious glances every now and then. Kim found out that her fainting was captured by someone in the school and the pictures were widely circulated on the social media and were picked up by some gossip sites. Of course, the only pictures everybody was interested in were the ones with Jack kneeling over her and with Jack carrying her bridal style out of the gym. This wasn't the first time that she noticed that pictures of her, Jack, and the Wasabi gang in school setting appeared on the social media. Apparently, there was a wannabe paparazzo or reporter in their midst. She was getting used to the idea of being photographed at all times, but it irked her a little. Aside from the fainting spell, there were also pictures of Jack and Kim at the cafeteria where she offered him one of her apples. It was a thing with them now, ever since that first apple she dropped, she carried extra one for him. When she saw it on the internet, she was upset. She felt like this was too much of a personal thing to be seen by others. It was their thing. She did not want it to be discussed by others, speculating whether it was staged, comparing her to Eve, comparing the moment to that Twilight scene. She felt like it diminished the genuine moment between her and Jack and made it something that public would have opinions on.

She shrugged off the unhappy thoughts about the nature of the celebrity life and went to open her locker... And then promptly closed it with a bang... She stood there, unmoving and not breathing, shock evident on her face. Jack saw that something was wrong. "What is it, Kim?"

She could not speak. She was staring at the closed door of her locker, pressing hand against her mouth, clearly holding in a scream or a whimper. She turned to Jack slowly and he was now very concerned. "Is there something wrong with your locker?" She only nodded, eyes huge and terrified.

Jack gently moved her away from the door and went to open it. He took a look inside and bit off a terse curse. It was disgusting. And disturbing. And very, very sad. There, in the middle of Kim's books and papers lay a small mutilated body of a puppy. He slammed the door and turned to Kim. She was still in the same pose, picture of shock and holding in the scream. She had tears slowly rolling down her cheeks and he could see that she would be full-on bawling her eyes out soon. He stepped up to her, hugging her close and tucking her face against his chest. She shuddered and he could feel the tears coming out faster now, just as she started panting into his chest. He signaled Milton to come close and quietly told him of the situation. Milton's eyes rounded and he was about to say something, but Jack shook his head pointing with his eyes to Kim's head.

Milton nodded and Jack whispered to Kim, "Come on, baby. Let's get you out of here. I can take you home if you want to. OK?" He did not wait for her answer and slowly started walking with Kim tucked into his side, his arm looped over her neck and his hand practically covering her face. She obeyed mechanically and he was grateful that the hallways were fairly empty. Once he got her to the car and buckled her in, he drove off thinking that he really wanted to know the name of the sick fuck who sent Kim this message.

* * *

Kim was asleep having cried herself out. Jack called her parents to let them know that they ditched the school and her dad was surprisingly understanding. He promised to clear it out with the school and told Jack to take care of Kim and not to leave her alone until he or her mother came home. He was waiting for them to come and was checking all the recent messages from his friends.

Milton informed the school administration. The principal was flabbergasted and very concerned. The locker was cleaned out and the principal made a school-wide announcement about unacceptable act of animal cruelty that was apparently perpetrated in their school. He also informed the student body that the incident would be investigated and that the wrong-doers would be severely punished.

The school was buzzing like a beehive. Most figured out that Kim was the target of the disgusting display, because some saw her leaving the school distraught and because her locker was cleaned out. While thankfully no one had pictures of upset Kim or seen what was in the locker, almost everyone assumed correctly what happened. Everyone by now knew that she volunteered in the animal shelter, what with her constant stream of animal pictures. The story spread to the wider circles and Kim's social media pages blew up with messages of support and outrage against the cruel treatment of animals. Jack, Bobby, Milton, Jerry and even Ricky were getting supportive messages. It was the latter that got Jack's attention. Ricky was sending him a private message.

therealrickyweaver at jackbrewer: _Jack, was it a puppy? Jesus, I sent her a puppy. Because she was in love with that one from the shelter. How did they get it? Who would do that? Is she OK?_

jackbrewer at therealrickyweaver: _Yes, it was. She is very upset. She cried herself to sleep. I don't know who did it. It is too cruel to even think of._

therealrickyweaver at jackbrewer: _Jack, I know you hate me, but I care about her and I am coming to see her._

jackbrewer at therealrickyweaver: _I do, but she doesn't. If it was your gift, then you should tell her._

Kim's parents came home and her and her dad looked very worried. They went to check on sleeping Kim and came back.

"We got some news from the hospital. The toxin they isolated is a naturally occurring one, but in this case, they think that the toxin was synthetic." He told Jack after asking specifics of the incident in school.

"Does this mean it was intentionally added to the macaroons?"

"It still could be a negligence. Someone had the toxin on hand may have accidentally added it to them. But, we don't know where the sweets came from and which bakery made them."

They sat silent for a while and then Mr. Crawford said, "I am now worried that the macaroons were not the mistake, but intentionally used to hurt Kim. Now that there was this act of intimidation with a puppy... What if somebody really wishes Kim to hurt? I just can't comprehend what caused them to hate my girl so much."

"We may not know who brought the macaroons, but the school is investigating who messed with Kim's locker. Hopefully, we'll know who was behind it soon."

"Jack, is there a way to trace those commenters, who leave nasty messages on Kim's accounts?"

"Probably. But I have no such skills. Even Milton doesn't. Why? Do you think someone did both the poisoning and the puppy?"

"I should check with lawyers and the police. Maybe there is something we or the police can do about it."

* * *

Re: Kim Crawford/Wasabi

jbgirl: how terrible! kim just recovered from poisoning and now this! i feel very sorry for her.

bbelt: i know! there are some real sickos out there.

graceinspace: you don't know half of it! Her entire locker had to be cleaned out and she now refuses to use it. hell, nobody wants that locker. you know, she stayed away for two days. and when she came to school she was very quiet and Jack is, like, attached at the hip with her.

jbgirl: i get it. i wouldn't want that locker either.

bbelt: is is true that Ricky showed up in Seaford?

graceinspace: yeah. i haven't seen him, but others have.

jbgirl: well, if you go on weaverworld there are tons of pic of him at kim's house. he even ate out with Jack and Bobby. i guess they are all friends.

graceinspace: oh, everyone in school wants to help somehow, but what can we do?

bbelt: you can volunteer at the shelter. or donate to it. i don't know. kim seems like an animal lover.

* * *

Seaford High Facebook post:

We were all saddened when the act of animal cruelty took place at our school. While we are working to find out what exactly happened, we urge everyone to show your support to fellow students. On our part, at the suggestion of Kim Crawford, we are organizing a fundraiser to help raise money for the Seaford Animal Shelter, Pawtastic Pets. Details will be coming soon.

therealrickyweaver at blackbeltkimc: _I will match the total amount that your school raises. I am so sorry Kim._

bobbywasabi at therealrickyweaver, blackbeltkimc: _My darling girl, I will match the donations as well. Take care._


	15. Chapter 15

Kim woke up from her unplanned midday nap to find herself alone in her room. She had a terrible headache and she could feel her eyes were crusty from too much crying. She vaguely remember getting home and just losing it altogether. She cried like never before. Truthfully, it wasn't just what she saw in her locker (and she carefully tried to avoid thinking about the actual image). This break-down was long time coming. Things with Jack and Ricky, the sudden notoriety, the need for careful curating of her public image, hateful messages, gawking by others, photographers, even fellow-student treating her differently, all of it happened so quickly and without much room to breath. She tried to be logical, intellectual about it; tried to be calm; tried to ignore as was her want; but her emotions could not be fully reasoned with and all the recent changes in her life were overwhelming her.

She also felt terribly guilty. She loved animals and could not imagine the level of cruelty it would take to hurt them, but she could almost see the logic of someone, who hated her, to hurt an animal because she was posting pictures of them on her social media. If they wanted to hurt her, this would be one of way of doing it. She'd rather take all the hateful messages herself, than have a defenseless animal suffer in her stead.

Her brooding was interrupted when there was a knock on the door and Jack came in.

"How are you? Sorry, this is a stupid question... But, do you need anything? Can I help?" He was hesitant and tentative. Such a departure from his normally assured way of talking and behaving.

"I am calmer now. And as long as I don't think about it, I think the urge to vomit has passed." She said and then cringed at her phrasing.

"You wanna talk about any of it?" Kim wasn't sure she wanted to, but it probably was better to get it off her chest.

"I just don't know what to think anymore. That people hated me for nothing more than being with you or with Ricky is nothing new. I've seen and heard it before. And it is creepy, but I always thought it's just part of life for anyone in the limelight, but especially a no-name associated with stars. And yet, here we are. Someone who took their hatred and actually acted on in, instead of just trashing me online. And I sort of helped by making it clear that I loved animals, but then again how could I have known!" she said the last bit forcefully, hating how guilty she felt.

"Kim, you didn't do anything wrong," Jack said softly.

"I know that. At least intellectually. I still wish I would have known, could have predicted that this would happen. And to think, someone like this, someone so cruel, lives nearby..."

She blew out a long breath and shifted her eyes from the point in mid-distance to look at Jack and belatedly realized what she has said. She had no doubts that Jack would do anything to keep her safe. She could see him processing this bit of information and his jaw tensed, just as his eyes grew hard.

"Jack, I am..." she began, but was interrupted.

"You father is talking to the lawyers and the school. They will ask to see if police can do anything at this point. The school should have security camera footage. They might find out who messed with your locker. Then, hopefully, we'd know who is this hater. In the meantime, let Milton go through your social media to see if he can find something to suggest who this guy was."

"What?" she was not sure she understood what he meant.

"Your dad is convinced that the food poisoning was intentional and this episode proves that the person is escalating. Maybe we can find out who that is."

"We don't know if it is related. And do what exactly? It is police's job to do something like that."

"I can always confront them. Or we can expose them."

"You are not doing anything of the sort! Are you insane? That person maybe a deranged and unstable. And think of your life and career. Do you want to jeopardize everything because you are a hothead with iron fists?" Kim could not believe her ears.

"I need to do something, Kim! You were hurt! Physically and emotionally! Because of me or because of Ricky. In either case, you are not at fault at all. I hate it that I can't help you. It literally drives me crazy that you have to endure this crap for just being with me or because someone thinks you are with Ricky. I just can't stand by. I can't..." Jack finished his outburst with a whisper and Kim's heart just broke.

She started crying again and Jack swore and then hugged her close, whispering into her hair, "I told you I am bad with words. See, I made you cry. Sorry, sorry, sorry..." He was whispering and kissing her head and she hugged him too.

"Oh, Jack. If I am not at fault, then neither are you. We cannot control everyone's behavior. And I'd rather be with you even with all the hate, than be without you."

She lifted her head to look at him and when they kissed, it was sweet and gentle, and she knew she could handle the hate with him by her side.

She trusted him more than anyone in the world. She knew he would be there for her in any capacity she could need. She held on to that knowledge like a talisman. It was the only way she knew how to get through this.

* * *

The next morning came a surprise.

Bobby send two of his ninjas in case Kim decided to go to school. Apparently the news of what happened yesterday spread through social media and there were more reporters and photographers than usual. In fact, after the initial couple of days that the Kicky story broke, the number of papps dropped significantly. Kim figured it was because Ricky was not in Seaford anymore. Jack told her that Ricky planned to show up and, she guessed, this was a precaution. She was grateful to Bobby, although it made denying their relationship that much harder.

She went to check her social media and was floored by the amount of positive and supportive messages. She teared up again and her dad just kissed her head and said, "See, it's not so bad, baby girl."

She decided to stay at home for the day, unsure if she can endure anymore well-wishers without crying again. She felt a little to raw to face the world. Jack, who came in bright and early was planning to stay with her. She insisted that she would be fine. She was not alone, Bobby's bodyguards were with her today and she felt safe to stay home.

Jack was torn, but she reminded him that he did not want truancy on his record. Before he left he held her gaze for a long while until he finally looked away sharply. "Just be careful. And...call me if you think anything seems wrong. Promise me."

His eyes drilled through her, the dark brown almost black, intense and hard. She felt like she was pinned by his eyes and all the emotions that were reflected there.

"Of course," she managed to whisper.

"Promise me," his voice was so low it was almost a growl and it stirred a reaction inside her she could barely speak about.

It took her three attempts until she said "I promise."

His eyes fell shut and he leaned in over her, so close she could feel his breath touch her face. "Thank you."

The air seemed to still between them and then there was movement behind him and she realized with a jolt just how public they were then. Her parents were there, so were the bodyguards. She took a full step backwards, distance suddenly a necessity. Jack didn't seem phased however. She watched as he turned and lifted his chin towards her dad, who returned the nod.

She was carefully avoiding the looks of everyone, still a little shaken by Jack's parting words and her own reaction to them. She sat silently at the kitchen island, poking at her food, when her mom broke the silence, "You know Kim, I think I see what you see in Jack. He is good looking for sure, and is your friend, but that boy loves you and it shows." She squeezed Kin's hand and left for work.

Kim was idling around the house, cleaned her room and responded to some of the messages she got yesterday. Her volunteer coordinator in the animal shelter called to say that he heard about the locker incident and that that shelter received a lot of calls from average people and the media. He told her that she can take a break and that he would understand if it was too difficult for her to come.

Kim was moved by all the outpouring of support and had an idea how to channel all the good will. She called the shelter and shared her thoughts with the management there. With something concrete to focus on, Kim spent the next couple of hours outlining her plan for the fundraiser.

She was interrupted when the door bell rang. It was Ricky. He came with his own bodyguards in tow and the clicking of the cameras could be heard even from inside the house. He stepped in quickly and simply stood there, looking at Kim intently. She was suddenly very aware of her make-up free face, still bearing evidence of crying, her comfy lounge clothes and messy hair. She tried to finger comb, but realized that it was in a ponytail and dropped her hand to the side.

"I feel like the only times we meet now is when there is some crisis." Kim said with levity she did not feel.

"I feel like I brought nothing but trouble into your life. I am sorry... God, it is such a stupid phrase... How are you? Oh, wow, this is even stupider... Uhgm." Ricky blurted it all out in a rush and Kim was surprised how discomposed he was.

"I think I already had this conversation. With Jack. I told him, and I am telling you now, that you can't control what others do or say. For what it's worth, I don't blame you."

"You are too kind. Is there anything you need? Anything I can help with?"

"I am not sure really. Dad is following up with the school. Maybe they'll find something on security cameras. And Bobby provided bodyguards." Kim told him as he was nodding along.

"What, Jack is not enough?" Ricky attempted a joke and Kim just winced at it. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"Jack is always enough." Kim said pointedly and Ricky's expression turned sour. Kim was nowhere near the emotional equilibrium to have this discussion now, but it seemed like they'd have it any way.

"Ricky, I ..." Kim began and Ricky suddenly turned away with a dark chuckle.

"No need to explain Kim. I got it. I have no chance." He was talking and shaking his head. "I won't bring it up again, unless your feelings change and you say so yourself. I should have known that all the good ones are already taken."

"Ricky, you don't have to put me on a pedestal. I am a normal girl. I have flaws aplenty. And if you want someone like me, then you are in luck. There are many wonderful people, who are probably better than I and they can't all be taken. I know you are lonely now. That you are not sure who has genuine feelings for your and who is honest with you, but you will find someone. I am sure."

Ricky was silent throughout her little speech, but turned back to face her. He studied her face and finally gave her a little smile. "Thank you. I would argue that you are not average, that there are not that many girls like you, that you understand me better than most... But... Thank you. I may not have chance with you, but I would like to be your friend. I don't have many of those right now."

"I'd like that very much."

* * *

 _WeaverWorld dot com_

 _Moderators' post re: Kim Crawford/Wasabi_

 _By now most of you heard that Kim Crawford (Wasabi) received some unpleasant message that may have involved an animal being hurt. We would like to remind everyone once again that this site is meant as a forum for fans to discuss Ricky's art and performances. We would not tolerate any hateful messages that are directed at those associated with Ricky._

* * *

 _TMZ: Ricky Weaver and Jack Brewer Seen Together Again_

 _The notorious popstar was spotted with his pal and a young rising star grabbing lunch with Bobby Wasabi. What these three men havebin common? That's right. It's Kim Crawford. She is a rumored daughter of Bobby and a rumored love interest of both young men. She has recently been ill with a "food poisoning" and allegedly her pet was killed. It is no wonder then that these three would be seen hovering over her. We hope Kim feels better and take this opportunity_ _to remind everyone that animal cruelty is terrible._

A/N: I feel like I made my teenage characters too emotionally smart, if that makes sense. But, in my defense, plenty of young people I meet are like that. And these guys are in unusual circumstances, so they act smarter. Let me know if you find them unbelievably mature.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Just needed to clean up the typos. It's the same chapter.

Blackbeltkimc at blackbeltkimc: _thanks everyone for kind words of support. The last couple of days were not great, but you kindness made it better. I am working w/ Seaford High to organise a fund raiser for Pawtastic Pets. Your support would mean a lot to me and it would make lives of shelter animals so much better. Hope to see you there. Details are on Facebook pages of Seaford High and Pawtastic Pets._

* * *

 _GossipGirls dot com_

 _Some incredible news keep coming out of Seaford! To remind everyone, Seaford, CA, is home to Bobby Wasabi, his rumored daughter Kim, and her boyfriend Jack Brewer, who we recently saw in several teen shows. We broke the story about Kim being a friend/love interest of Ricky Weaver. It turned out that three young celebrities are good friends, or so they would have us believe. Bobby, Ricky and Jack all officially denied any romance between Ricky and Kim. Kim had not directly addressed the rumors, but maintains a steady presence on social media highlighting her interest in martial arts, cheerleading and volunteering at the animal shelter. She has recently taken ill with a 'food poisoning' that was well publicized. Many speculated at the nature of the illness, but she appeared in good health afterward._

 _However, two days ago, something quite terrible happened to Kim. Her pet dog, that was a present from Ricky, was brutally killed and its body was left for Kim to find in her school locker! Kim was understandably shocked and distraught and taken home immediately by a very concerned Jack. The school administration is investigating the matter and we hope that the perpetrators are caught and brought to justice._

 _Immediately after the discovery in the locker, Bobby sent his personal bodyguards to Kim's house and later appeared there himself. His visit coincided with Ricky's visit, who found time in his busy schedule to come and comfort his special friend. Ricky is promoting his new album that is coming out soon with a lead single **Fever** , that many believe is about Kim._

 _Despite all appearances, Jack, Ricky and Bobby were seen leaving Kim's house together to have a quiet dinner. It seems that we stand corrected: they are indeed friends._

* * *

Eric was both ecstatic and pissed off. His story about Kicky got lots of attention and his position in the company improved dramatically. Other news outlets reported everything he wrote about and he was the first one to break it. However, soon the story changed. The young people at the center of it apparently were not involved in weird triangle, but were merely friends. His editors were giving him side-eye and it was only because the traffic to their site had increased since the original story broke that he was still in a good standing. He wanted another story, another break to solidify his position as the top reporter in the company. He had a suspicion that either Ricky or Jack had a very clever managers, who manipulated the story into a tale about great friendship.

So, he scoured the internet for any mentions of Ricky in Seaford prior to the most recent trips. He followed up any chatter between fans of both Ricky and Jack to see if there was any tidbits from those close to either star. He followed Kim and her friends on social media to see if anything popped off. That's how he learned about Ricky's surprise about the puppy. It wasn't much, and the editors did not spin it as another evidence of interest on Ricky's part.

It seemed that another trip to Seaford was in order.

* * *

The two days that Kim did not go to school proved two things to Jack: one, that Kim was practically in every aspect of his life and he missed her terribly; and two, that majority of their school mates were decent guys and girls, who sympathized with Kim. He was approached numerous time by fellow students asking after her and passing along their sympathy to her. He was buoyed by this knowledge that the world that had such creeps, who would hurt an animal, also had a lot more nicer people.

Kim kept busy organizing a fund raiser, which was a good development. She was not focusing on the negatives so much. He was glad to see her in improved spirits. Even presence of Ricky did not spoil his mood. In fact, there was a distinct change in Ricky's attitude. When Jack came in to check on Kim after school and practice, he found her, Ricky and Bobby lounging in the family room eating pizza and watching a Bobby Wasabi movie. Bobby was giving them a running commentary on how each scene was made and little anecdotes about the movie, actors, director, etc. He was funny in that way, where it was not clear that he was trying to be funny, and Kim was laughing and needling Bobby for more details. Ricky was laughing along and was trying to mimic the karate moves. He was exaggerating his own ineptitude and clumsiness and it only made Kim laugh more.

Jack joined them as well and they finished watching the movie. Ricky was polite and did not stare at Kim or glare at Jack. There was a moment when Kim went to make more popcorn and Bobby joined her to help bring the drinks. Jack could have sworn he saw Kim signal at Bobby to come with her. When they left, Ricky cleared his throat and said, "Listen, Jack. I know I made things uncomfortable for you and Kim. And I know that my presence does not make Kim's life easier. I had selfish reasons to come back again and again, but you don't have to worry about it. Kim told me straight up that she is with you and that its not going to change anytime soon. She also told me to stop pretending that I can control anything, but especially other people's behavior. For what's it worth, I am sorry that she got the raw deal here. But she won't stop being your girl, and I don't want to miss an opportunity to make a good friend."

Jack was struggling to maintain his hatred for Ricky after that. He suspected that Ricky still very much liked Kim as more than a friend. It was understandable, as Kim told him once, you can't just turn off your feelings. But if Ricky backed off, then Jack could be OK with him being a friend to Kim.

The two of them, plus Bobby, ended up having a dinner together and it was surprisingly alright.

* * *

The school security cameras did not help much. What they captured was a person dressed in a janitorial grey uniform with a baseball cap on breaking into Kim locker. The angle and the quality of the video did not allow for more than being relatively sure that the person was of average height and Caucasian. The janitorial staff was questioned, but according to their schedule, they weren't supposed to be there anyway in the middle of the night. It would seem that this was a dead end.

Kim's dad talked to their lawyer and the police. Unfortunately, there was not much to be done at this moment. There were no direct or overt threats made to Kim and the food poisoning could have been an accident. It left Jack feeling useless. To make things worse, his own hater came back with a strange message, now focused on Kim. They were gleeful that Kim was hurt and that it in turn caused him to be hurt.

Milton checked Kim's accounts and found what she already knew. There were few outspoken critics, but their messages did not warrant the label of the direct or overt theat. In fact, he believed it was part and parcel of the digital life. Even Jerry was getting some nasty comments. He himself was mostly getting corrections on his post that were related to science and an occasional bully.

Jack was restless and the trip for an audition was a welcome change from the routine. Kim agreed to come along, feeling like she wanted a break from Seaford and the recent unpleasant events as well.

They arrived at the studio early enough for him to get a go over his part of the script again. This time, the scene was not that of a confrontation between the protagonist and his old associates, but a conversation with one of the new friends the character makes through martials arts. The friend was a girl and the dialogue was fairly simple; them talking, connecting, him opening a little, her being intrigued a little. Kim suspected that the friend would be a potential love interest for the protagonist. She was curious, who they'd cast in this role and would admit that she was jealous a little. They were going over the the dialogue again and this time it was for Jack to actuallly try and act the scene out.

"You were not bad out there. Your form needs work and your moves are not yet precise, but you have speed and power and awareness that is important in Karate," Kim said as Lena.

"Look at you, junior sensei. Have you been doing this long?"

"Since I was ten. Dad felt like I need to learn to defend myself from bullies."

"You were bullied? Why? You don't seem like a nerd..."

"You have not seen me at ten. I had braces, glasses, was in the band and sang in the choir."

"Ouch. All of that, and now look at you."

"What about you? Ever been in a band or choir, or wore glasses?" Here Kim added a soft smile.

"No. My life was hectic. Didn't stay anywhere long enough to do any of that. And my eyesight is pretty good I guess. That would be the only good thing my parents gave me." Jack had the closed off and brooding expression on.

"Oh... Sorry I brought it up. I am..."

"Hey, it's OK. But let's move on. You got a boyfriend?" Jack's expression morphed into playful curiosity that was almost deliberate. It suited the scene. His character's background was tumultuous and he didn't like to discuss it. Hence the diversion.

"Not right now. The last one was a jerk. I made it clear I dont like jerks. Now other guys avoid me." A shrug to complete the don't care attitude of Kim's character.

"Well, they are missing out. And a girl that can take care of herself is kind of hot."

The scene ended there, but Kim and Jack were still caught in the moment and were looking at each other slowly leaning in. When they kissed, Jack sighed into her mouth, "I missed this. We are never alone anymore. The ninjas, Bobby, your dad, Ricky. Ugh."

"We just have to be inventive finding time and place for this. Like right now. There is no one here to interrupt us." Kim said and quickly pecked him.

They ended up making out a little in this small closet of a room. At the end of it, Kim whispered heatedly, "just don't do that with whoever you'be reading with."

Jack ended up reading with several young actresses. Kim wasn't in the room, but she saw them from where she sat waiting. She secretly thought that she was prettier. Then came the guys who came to audition for the roles of either old or new friends of the main character. Kim was a little bored and moved around the studio. She was looking on one set, when someone addressed her, "aren't you the Wasabi girl? Kim, right?"

She turned around and saw a young guy about her age, but taller, who was smirking at her.

"It's Crawford." She said simply.

"Right, right. Are you here to audition as well? You must be. They were looking at actors with martial arts background. You practically have Karate in your blood. You dad must have had your doing it before you could walk."

"And you? Are you a martial artist? Sorry, I didn't catch your name." Kim didn't feel like explaining her actual situation to some random guy.

"My name is Daniel. And I did a little bit of Karate growing up. I saw your LA competition matches. You are pretty good. Hey, you want demonstrate you skills?" She could hear the condensention in his voice. Coupled with his smirk, it was quite grating.

"What? Right now?" Kim was taken aback.

"Well, there isn't much to do while we wait. Might help us kill some time... Unless you just do the exhibition matches?"

That's it, thought Kim. People may think she is fat, stupid and ugly, but no one questions her Karate skills.

She turned fully to face Daniel and dropped into a fighting stance. Daniel charged and threw a first punch. He clearly was more than a little bit prepared. His skills matched hers, but she sparred with Jack often. And Jack was taller and faster, so she learned to compensate for that. She landed a solid combination of punch, kick, punch, that dropped Daniel to the ground.

"How's that for an exhibition match?" Kim said smirking at Daniel.

She heard applause and turned to see that they had an audience. Jack and other actors were looking at them and Jack was giving her a knowing smirk.

A middle age man approached her swiftly, "are you here for audition? What's your name? Crawford? We don't have you here on the list. Never mind. Come with me." He turned around and went back to the small room without waiting for her reply.

Kim ended up auditioning without Jack or any other actor. She was given a scene that required no speaking, but tasked her with portraying a young woman in turmoil taking it out in the gym. Kim had plenty of material in her own life that fueled her frustration and she thought she did well.

* * *

Hollywood Grapevine

Jack Brewer was spotted back at the studio. It seems that the project centered around him is a go. Bunch of other young actors were seen at the studio. We guess the audition process began. Kim Wasabi was there to support her beau. The young couple was later seen enjoying a low-key meal.


	17. Chapter 17

Unexpected audition was just another example of how Kim's life kept changing. At this point, she wasn't sure if she were resentful or grateful for the attention paid to her because of who she dated or was friends with. Part of her was thrilled to be on screen. To be with Jack in this new aspect of his life. Part of her wondered if she only got this break because of her perceived parentage and connections. Because that's how it would look on the outside. Of course, it was some sort of serendipity that put her in the studio and her own quick temper that made her rise at the bait and fight. She hoped that if she got any part in this show, it would be because of her talent.

Jack was happy. He still felt bad that he was the only one who got the break in the industry from that disaster that was Karate Games. He asked her why she picked a fight with Daniel. She told him tersely that that idiot thought she only can do exhibition matches. Jack laughed at this long and hard. When he calmed down he said that Daniel deserved the beating for being an idiot. Even he didn't know Kim Crawford, he should have realized that Kim Wasabi would be a legitimate martial artist. She smiled at that.

They were planning to meet Ricky at his house. Jack was chaffing at it, but Kim was determined to make the two at least tolerate each other. When they got there, she was not surprised to see paparazzi staking the perimeter. She saw what happened when he came to visit her. The cab had to slow down to make way through the throng of people, who were shoving cameras into the windows and she was practically blinded by flashes. They kept shouting questions and directions for her to smile pretty. Dicks.

"Fuck these guys," she said vehemently as she entered through the main door.

The TV in the living room was on and displaying, if Kim wasn't mistaken, Mario Kart 64. Two young men were sitting on the couch, controllers in hand and shoulders hunched as they veered through Rainbow Road's many obstacles.

As she watched, Toad zipped past the finish line, and the black young man dropped his controller and raised his arms triumphantly. "Suck it, Ben."

"You cheated, man" the other guy - Ben - said.

"I've just got skills," the other man replied. He glanced over his shoulder at Kim and Jack. "Ben is a sore loser."

Kim dropped her purse on the floor by the entrance and strode over to the couches. "No man's ego can survive a Mario Kart whooping," she said. "Hi, this is Jack and I'm Kim, Ricky's friend."

"Oh, we know. The cheerleader. You have really good-looking friends," Ben said with a lazy smirk. "I am Ben, the drummer." He finished with a finger wave.

"James, bass guitar," the other man said. "I've heard a lot about you guys."

Of course. These were Ricky's band mates. "Oh," she said.

"You look like someone who wants to kill something with her bare hands," James continued.

Kim growled. "Those vultures!"

"Easy there, scorpion," Jack said placating her and patting her hand.

James nodded sympathetically. "Wanna come blue-turtleshell Ben with me?"

"Yes please," Kim said, toeing off her flats and sitting down on the couch.

"Hey, not fair," Ben protested, though his eyes were already back on the screen. "Jack, come and help me fight these two off."

James handed Kim and Jack controllers and she rolled her shoulders. "Let's do this."

Over the course of the next hour, Kim learned that Ben was indeed a sore loser, James could switch between friendly banter to swearing a blue streak in mere seconds, and Kim's hours of playing video games against the guys was not enough to earn her an easy victory.

Paparazzi forgotten, she laughed as she rammed Ben's Toad with her Bowser, causing him to veer off the track into the water. "Bet you wish you hadn't asked me now, don't you?" Kim said as she shot toward the finish line. "Back in first, baby," Kim said, dropping her controller and doing some impromptu Kim dance. She didn't realize that Ricky and others came to join everyone in the giant living room/gaming den. She heard some muffled laughter and then Ricky saying, "i see your dancing is just the same as always."

"Are you saying that I am a bad dancer?" Kim said exaggerating her frown. "Need I remind you that I am black belt?" Jack was shaking his head, holding in the laughter.

Ricky raised his hands up in surrender. "Never. Your dancing is perfect."

"Thought so," Kim added and turned to face the rest of the people in the room.

Ben, who had crossed the finish line just after her, slumped back on the couch. "I quit. Your girl is ruthless," he whined addressing Ricky. There was a beat of awkward silence before he added, "What? According to every gossip rag, she is with either with Ricky, Jack, or both of them."

Kim shifted on the couch so she could see as many people as possible at once. "First of all, you must not have listened to all the news or you'd know that Ricky and I are friends. Secondly, don't talk about me like I'm not here. Lastly, ruthlessness is the only course of action when it comes to Mario Kart. It's kill or be killed. Don't pretend like you weren't playing just as dirty."

"Ruthless, I tell you." Ben got up and shook Kim's hand. "Anytime you want a rematch, let me know."

"You wanna take my place, Ricky? You're just as bad as she is," James said, standing up.

Ricky looked at Jack, who nodded, and then turned to Kim. "I could play."

"Good luck," Ben said, patting Ricky on the shoulder as he left the room.

Meanwhile, James and Jack scooted over to the other end of the couch, continuing their earlier conversation about guitars and that one time that Jack played with Izzy Gunnar, when his band was short of players.

"Ready to go down in flames, Ricky?"

"Bring it on, shorty."

"Resorting to name calling is a sign of fear." Kim told to his smirking face and turned to the screen.

Kim won once and lost once, and they decided to leave it as a draw. Ricky was so different when with friends. He was relaxed and he stayed true to his word. Aside from that time Ben brought up the whole Kicky thing, Ricky acted like they were just friends. Jack bonded with James and the two ended up in a game of Guitar Hero.

The entire group went to dinner and while the cameras were going off and questions were shouted, Kim was shielded by a whole bunch of guys and it was not nearly as overwhelming. She knew that other patrons took pictures; some came up to get Ricky's autograph. There was even one girl, who wanted a picture with Jack. But the most awkward moment came, when a girl asked for a picture with the three of them. Kim recoiled when she said she wanted a picture with Kicky, but Ricky was gracious and Jack just laughed, and she ended up in the middle of the setting with a girl by her side. The girl told her that she was a gymnast and was a student at the tae kwan do studio. They chatted for a bit and Kim was surprised to learn that the girl followed her on Twitter and Instagram.

She and Jack were driving home and she was in a mellow mood. Earlier in the day she Instagramed a candid of Ricky, his band mates, plus Jack at the table, laughing and being carefree. She saw that the post was getting a lot of likes.

"This was a good day," she said quietly, thinking that she could probably handle celebrity life if there days like this in between.

"It was."

They arrived at Seaford after dark and were parked at Kim's house. There were no photographers around and Jack turned to her for a kiss goodbye now, since her dad was most likely waiting by the door. Kim was looking at him with a small smile, her eyes dark and half closed. He leaned over and she was already moving towards him. When they kissed it was sweet at first, but Jack wasn't exaggerating: they were rarely alone and he took advantage of this time alone. The kiss escalated quickly and he was hovering over her, twisting his torso and lifting off the seat. Suddenly, Kim's chair reclined and she was half lying, and he appreciated her quick thinking. He threw his legs over the console and was now kneeling on the passenger seat floor. Kim must have pushed the seat back, because his long legs weren't that cramped. All these thoughts were fleeting though, because he had Kim under him and she was kissing him like they haven't done it just earlier today.

She was twisting her fingers in his hair, angling his head to a deeper kiss. His body was buzzing again with anticipation and desire. She let go of his lips to drag some air and he moved to her neck, biting along the way as he drifted to the neckline of her top. His hand was already there, in her breast, managing her through the fabric of the top and her bra. He wondered if it was the white one with roses. When he dragged the top down, he stopped in appreciation: her bra was lacy and he could see the pink of her nipple through the lace. He bit it lightly over the lace and she whimpered quietly, her one hand moving up his body, pulling the hem of the shirt along. He grew harder at the sounds she made and at the sensation of her fingers. He reflexively ground into her and heard her breathing stutter.

"You are so beautiful. So hot. I sometimes get hard just looking at you. Like today, when you dropped that guy in the studio. I wanted to drag you into the nearest closet and peel the clothes off of you. So competent, so graceful, so beautiful. And all mine." He was whispering raggedly into her breast and leaving biting kisses in between his words. She never would have suspected that Jack was one for a dirty talk, but she liked it. A lot. When he spoke like this, she had trouble keeping her wits about.

She suspected that the time spent with Ricky rankled him a bit. He often slipped into a more possessive language and behavior when be was jealous.

He returned to her lips and this kiss was more aggressive and biting and she now was moving her hips to meet his movements. The pressure was just right and just in the right place and she just needed something to carry her over. Jack must have sensed it because his mouth moved back to her one nipple, biting it, just as his hand pinched the other and Kim flew apart at this. She bit her lip from making noise and could tell that she broke the skin on the inside.

She calmed a little and fumbled with the zipper of Jack's jeans. He hissed at first touch of her hand on him and she pumped her hand squeezing him gently. He was thrusting again and mumbling encouraging word, mixed in with curses into her ear. She turned her head a little and kissed him on the spot behind his ear and his hips movement stuttered a little. Kim kept kissing him there, sucking on the skin, and speeding up her strokes. Jack's hands that were now twisted in her hair, tightened and with low growl he shoved one more time and came.

When they both calmed down, she realized with a start that they were still in the car, right in front of her house.

"I think we need to revise our rule. It's not just parking lots. We really shouldn't do it the car," she whispered and Jack huffed a ragged laughter.

"Yeah..."

* * *

Re: Kick plus Ricky

Bbelt: you won't believe it, but I saw Kim, Jack and Ricky today in LA. I even took a picture with three of them. (Embedded picture)

Jbgirl: lucky bitch. Details please.

Bbelt: oh, Jack is hotter than the sun and Kim is actually tiny. Like, she is shorter than me. They were at this restaurant that me and the fam were in. There was a bunch of people at the table with them.

Jbgirl: what did you talk about?

Bbelt: well, at first I was like blushing and stuttering, but they were all very nice. Kim actually talked to me about gymnastics and martial arts. Get this, she is also on gymnastics team at her school. She might be tiny, but that girl is athletic.

Jbgirl: and Ricky? How was he with them?

Bbelt: they all were friendly and it didn't look like he has a crush on Kim. Or Jack. Really, no signs of Kicky.

jbgirl: I knew it! Kick for the win.

A/N: I am always nervous about writing the intimate scenes. In this particular case, I am worried that it may be too much for the 17 year old teens. also, the last chapters were heavy on the plot, setting up for the climax and finale and I wanted this chapter to be more about our couple. Let me know what you think.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Ok, I planned for a more plotty chapter, but stuff happened. Blame the sexy Kick for this, and the change of the rating to T.

* * *

 _Live with Kelly and Michael_

"Today we have great guest. I know that many in our audience are huge fans. My own daughter is one. He has a new single, which he will perform here live. Please welcome, Ricky Weaver!"

"So Ricky, we here are dying to know if all these rumors about you and the new song are true."

"Its all lies, misunderstanding of exaggeration. Otherwise, no comments."

"Ha ha ha... Seriously though, how is it that you know Kim Wasabi? Kim Crawford?"

"Well, I was at her high school performing couple of years ago. I met her and Jack then. We reconnected recently. They are friends."

"Is is true that you gave her a pet and it was, you know..."

"She loves animals and her dad is allergic. I found that certain breeds are hypoallergenic. So I got a puppy for her as a surprise. But, yeah... It didn't live."

"How terrible. Well, we hope she recovered from that shock."

"She was devastated. But she is strong. She, the animal shelter, and her school are planning a fundraiser to benefit the shelter."

"Do you plan to be there?"

"My schedule is busy right now, but I'll try."

* * *

Eric was beside himself. When he pitched an idea to go to Seaford to scavenge for more dirt on Kim, Jack, Bobby or even Ricky, his editors did not agree with him. And then all these reports about Kim and Jack at the studio for auditions, Kicky hanging out at Weaver's place, them eating out with Weaver's band, surfaced and their site was nowhere near the action. When he saw the interview with Ricky on the morning show, where he actually admitted that the puppy was his present and that he might show up at the fundraiser, he was right there with the editors, begging for an assignment to Seaford for the fundraiser. This time they agreed.

* * *

Back in Seaford, Jack and Kim fell into their routine again: school, dojo, extracurriculars and glorious make-outs whenever they had a chance. Jack was getting better at scaling the walls of Kim's house; found all the hide-away nooks in the school; and on one stand-out occasion they made out against the wall of the girls' locker room at the dojo.

There was no news about the results of the auditions and Kim threw herself into planning the fundraiser, which was scheduled for the end of the week.

It was Thursday and Jack dropped off Kim at the animal shelter. He had a nagging feeling of being watched, but most people gawked at him and Kim nowadays that he simply shrugged it off. Kim was greeted by the receptionist/volunteer coordinator at the front desk.

"Hi, Kevin. What's new?"

"Good, Kim you're here. You remember Andrew Bowden, don't you?"

He was gesturing towards young guy, who wore the Swarthmore blazer.

"Of course. Hi Andrew, good to see you again," Kim replied with a smile and then turned to Jack. "Andrew came here to help around couple of times and his family donated to the shelter. Andrew, this is Jack Brewer, my boyfriend."

"Oh I know him. Black belt, rising star, stole our float..." Andrew said with a smile, but it was faker than fake.

"Yes, well, he didn't do it alone. I was there too," Kim said with an awkward smile.

"Yes, I am sure you were helping your friend. What's up man?"

Jack accepted Andrew's offered hand of greeting. He may or may not have gripped it with slightly more force than necessary. "Not much. You?"

"Well I am here to help your girlfriend and pledge our family's support for the fundraiser."

Jack watched as Andrew caught Kim's gaze and winked at her to which she turned away, seemingly blushing. Jack's hands clenched tightly at his sides and they only tightened further as Andrew pulled Kim into conversation about the fundraiser details. What a douchebag.

"Your family wants to support the shelter? I thought you guys had some sort of charity coordinator. We contacted her." Kim was saying to Andrew.

"It's crazy how things coincide. We all heard about the locker incident. Next the shelter contacted us for the donation. My mother asked me to look at it, since I volunteered here. Once I saw that you were organizing it, I told my parents that I would donate portion of my allowance to the shelter."

Kim looked impressed and Jack could see her grateful smile at this speech and it made Jack want to vomit. Apparently Kevin felt the same way because he caught Jack's eyes as he made a subtle choking noise and mimed throwing up. Jack lets out a soft laugh at that.

"I just really think it's our duty as Seaford's more fortunate to help those in need." The line is delivered with practiced humility that Jack could see through a mile away.

"Its wonderful that you think that way. We hope that money raised would improve conditions here." Kim was gushing and Jack was really uncomfortable about the whole thing. He knew his jealousy was unnecessary: if Kim was not swayed by a mega-star, she would not be swayed by a richy rich here... But... His jealousy wasn't exactly a rational thing. This moneybag spent time with Kim, doing something she was passionate about and, really, did he have to show every guy in Seaford that Kim was off-limits? He did not even think she crossed path with the Swarthmore guys, other than that Clair girl from the pageant.

"So, Andrew, will we see you and your family at the fundraiser this Friday?" Kevin said cutting into small chatter between Kim and Andrew.

"Of course, Kevin. The work that Pawtastic Pets does is inspiring. It has the full support of the Bowden family and we wouldn't miss it for the world."

Great. Now Jack was going to spend Friday evening watching Moneybags McDouche fish for compliments and not so subtly brag about his family's fortune.

"All right then. See you there, Andrew." Kevin got up, took Andrew by the elbow and gently moved him to the front door.

Once the door swung back in place behind Andrew, both Kevin and Kim shuddered in revulsion and Kim even proceeded to use sanitizer on her hands.

"God that guy is obnoxious. You'd think he invented charity and is saving animals single handedly!" Kim exclaimed and turned to Jack. "He was doing community service here in a deal with the police. His family is sure rich, but they throw money at everything to make things smooth for that douche bag."

"I know. His condescension is too much. I bet he would put the whole donation and participation in the fundraiser on his college application. Although, why does he bother? He is probably legacy in one of the Ivies." Kevin was talking with gusto. "'It is a duty of more fortunate ones to help.' Please, spare me the noblesse oblige speech," Kevin added mocking Andrew's accent.

"I suspect he is here only because Ricky might be here, so you know it would be crawling with press and media vultures." Kim added skeptically.

As Kim and Kevin spoke, Jack has let out a quiet breath. Its good he did not mention anything even remotely that smacked of jealousy to Kim. She took his attitude in stride, but he suspected that her tolerance wasn't limitless. She turned to him and kissed him goodbye and he left to meet up with Milton.

He was home, checking his social media, when he saw a text from an unknown number. He got a lot of such messages from the press, but this one was from his personal hater. Uneasiness settled in the pit of his stomach. He opened the text and recoiled. It was the picture of Kim's poor puppy. The message was simple: "It is only the beginning."

Worried, Jack called Kim, knowing that she was still at the shelter. She picked up after the third ring, breathless and laughing, "Yes?"

"Are you alright?" Jack spoke quickly, already knowing that she was fine.

"Yes, of course. Why?"

"No reason, just missed you. That's all."

"I missed you too."

"Hey, out of curiosity, what is the security at that place? Like, what happens at night?" Jack imagined that if anyone wanted to hurt Kim even more than that puppy incident did, they might go for the animal in the shelter.

"Are you sure everything is fine, Jack?"

"I just am concerned. About you. And animals. But mostly about you." He wasn't lying.

"OOOOK. We have security cameras and animals are not left alone. There is night shift, but they don't allow minors to volunteer those hours. Usually the place is locked down after 10PM. Feel better now?" Kim sounded indulgent.

"Yeah. When are you going to be done?"

"Soon. Kevin will drop me off at my home. By the way, my parents are having a night out tonight. They won't be back for a while. I'll be all alone at that place..." Kim's voice trailed off and Jack's earlier worry evaporated as the heat spread through his body. Oh...

"I'll be there. Time?" he quickly spoke.

"Their reservation is at 7." Kim's voice dropped lower and his heart jumped at the sound.

"See you soon, Kim," his own voice was deeper and huskier and he heard Kim's sharp intake of breath.

"See you."

He waited in the car for her parents to leave. The moment their car turned the corner, he was pressing the bell. Kim opened the door almost immediately and they surged towards each other with a hungry kiss. The anticipation of the time together, without hiding or interruptions was fueling them both.

They stumbled in still kissing and Jack turned them around to press Kim into the door. She was frustratingly short and he crouched a little to be on the same level. She rose on her tip toes, wrapping her hands around his neck to leverage against his frame. The height differential did not let him kiss anywhere else and with a growl he lifted her up by the waist and one of his legs came to step between her thighs. Jack wrapped one of his arms around her waist to steady her as he lunged forward, pinning her beneath him so that her entire upper body was pressed into the door. He trailed kisses down her jawline, over her neck and to her collarbone. "Kim, we should stop. If we don't, we might just spend the entire time here by the door," came the muffled sound of his voice, his breath scalding her skin.

Kim shuddered at the tone he used. All she had planned on was a kiss hello, but she really was powerless against Jack and his words, voice, body, everything. A fresh pool of hot liquid formed in her panties as he ground his thigh into her sensitized center. "I really don't want you to stop."

Jack let out a strangled groan at the tone of her words as he claimed her lips once more, letting his fingers roam down her hip and thigh, meeting a bare skin soon. She was wearing sweat shorts and tank top. Clever. He dropped both hands on her thighs and wrapped them around his waist. Still kissing, he pushed off the door and walked with Kim in his arms up to her room.

He dropped her onto her bed and she bounced a little, causing her perky breasts to jiggle and it was all too sexy. He toed off his shoes and climbed into the bed with her. Kissing again, feeling her curves under him, his fingers whispered down her back and slid into the waistband of her shorts. With his one hand, he ghosted the tips of his fingers into her pants, feeling her hips and the soft skin of her lower abdomen. With the other, he came around to her front and grasped one of her breasts beneath her shirt. She had not been wearing a bra, but only a thing cami and he was eternally grateful for the lounge wear. She was so soft, and so hot, and the way her tiny nipples hardened under his palm sent a rush of blood down to his dick. He lower his mouth onto her chest and kissed the right one first.

"You know that your right nipple is more sensitive than the left. It is so hard right now, but I can get it harder. It turns dark pink and then it looks like a pink pearl. So pretty. And so delicious."

He repeated his actions with the left breast, murmuring that he would make it just as hard as the right one. Kim was wound up already and his words were making her wetter by the second. She raised her hips seeking friction where she wanted it, and his clever fingers moved from their vise like grip on her hip towards her pussy. He slid down her body pulling her shorts down and then kissing his way up her legs and thighs. She was so ready, she was whimpering. The first touch of his lips on her were like a shock and she stopped breathing for a second.

"You're so pretty here. Like a pink shell. No. Shell is hard, but you are soft. And hot. And tasty." He was whispering his words, kissing, licking and gently biting her, and the pressure was building and building...

"And you clit... It hides, but when I do this..." here he pulled her lips apart and drove his tongue up, clothing his mouth around the sensitive nub, "it comes out and it is so responsive..."

Kim was incoherent with want and needed to come badly. She dug her fingers into his hair pushing him down and Jack added two fingers into her and lightly bit her clit. She choked on air and stuttered out something that sounded like "more, please." Jack hummed around her clit and his fingers curled inside and shrieked and came panting Jack, oh my god, Jack.

She calmed down a bit with Jack slowly climbing up her body, kissing and nuzzling. When he was level with her face, he kissed her deeply and she she could feel that he was very hard even through his jeans. She kissed him a bit, enjoying the afterglow and then pulled back and said, "your turn now."

She rose up from the bed making Jack fall sideways. She twisted her body to get on top of him and touched him over his jeans. Jack was so turned on he didn't think he would last. "Kiiim..." he started, but Kim undid his jeans and wrapped her hand around his dick and he had to stop talking for a second.

"Now there, Mister Brewer, what do you have for me?" She said in her most Southern accent. Her other hand worked the jeans and boxers down just enough to free his erection.

Kim was squeezing lightly as she moved her hand from the base of his cock up to the top once more, swirling her thumb lightly over the tip, smearing the pre-cum that oozed from his slit. He swallowed and clenched his jaw.

Kim already knew whaf her preferred and squeezed him harder increasing the pressure of her thumb on the nerve-riddled vein on the underside of his cock. His breathing hitched instantly and he gripped the sheets in his fists, breathing harshly. He was trying so hard not to cum yet he was trembling.

Kim sucked in a deep breath and moved her hand down to cup his balls, giving them a slight squeeze. Jack dug his head back into the mattress and groaned, arching his back ever so slightly and the veins on his arms and neck stood out sharply.

"Kim..." he choked out before biting his lip and clenching his eyes shut.

Kim smiled to herself, his plea gave her the confidence for the next part. She lowered her mouth onto him and slowly licked the precum from the slit.

His entire body froze and his muscles were locked in for a suspended moment and before Jack could form a coherent thought, she placed her full, plump lips around his swollen member, humming lightly when she swirled her tongue around the tip.

Jack threw his head back once more and pleading with her out loud, as he placed his hands in her hair, holding her firmly in place, and tugging her slightly to convey his approval and pleasure. He wasn't aggressive, never even applied much pressure in his pull, but it was enough to encourage her to continue and take him deeper. She was more than happy to oblige.

She used her free arm to reach up to his chest and she played with his flat nipples, gratified when he jerked again. She dragged her fingers down over his torso, loving every taught ripple of muscle beneath her fingertips. With the other hand, Kim continued to pump him, working in tandem with her mouth, hand meeting mouth somewhere in the middle. Soon her head bobbed with a rhythm along with her hand, giving him the sensation that she was able to deep throat him, when in fact, she could not. With the hand that grasped him she applied pressure with her thumb to the sensitive vein at the base, and as she listened to him, she began to hear his breathing speed up. He was close. That must have meant she was doing _something_ right, because he certainly seemed to be enjoying it.

Jack lifted his head slightly and watched her mouth as it bobbed up and down on his dick and he was mesmerized. There was too much teeth and she really was not going down that far, but these details did not matter. This was Kim. Giving him a blow job. With enthusiasm he could not fathom. He watched intently as she hollowed her cheeks and created the most wonderful suction feeling around him, as her lips dragged down, her pink lips lighter than the skin of his cock. The coil tightening around in his abdomen was becoming harder and harder to ignore with each downward stroke of her beautiful mouth, and before he knew it, his body began to quake beneath her.

Kim felt the reverberations of his shaking and opened her eyes to look up at him. When she caught a glimpse of him through her lashes, she said something around him, and he clenched his jaw so tight at the sensation he thought he broke a tooth. The heat burned down his spine and through his cock and he had enough wits to stutter, "Kim, I ..."

She prepared herself for the worst and gave him one final firm squeeze when she felt warm, salty liquid spill inside her mouth. She kept it in her mouth for a bit and then swallowed, cataloging the sensations.

Jack lay breathless, his hands still on her head and Kim could feel him trembling, his thumbs drawing mindless circles on her hair and she could feel his grasp weakening. That orgasm seemed to have done a number on him. She slowly climbed up his body and when he reached him, she saw that he had the dopiest expression on his face.

"I take it that you liked it," she whispered. "Not bad for the first time?"

"I now worry that I would simply die if you get any better at this. But what a way to go."

A/N: I would really appreciate some feedback. Let me know if any of it is good, bad, terrible, cringe-worthy, etc.


	19. Chapter 19

Friday morning the day the fundraiser was scheduled to take place, Kim woke up early to the incessant ringing and pinging of her phone and tablet. Last time it happened she was outed as the one third of the Kicky triangle. Weary, she grabbed her phone first. There were bunch of missed calls and messages form unknown numbers and at least four messages from Brett. They were friendly after the break-up. Mostly she thought it was because neither of their feelings were engaged and therefore not hurt during the brief dating and break-up. Plus, he was on the football team and she was on cheer squad. They remained friendly and professional, for lack of the better word. Him contacting her was unexpected. His latest messages read: "I'm sorry for this, but I have honestly did not realize that this was going to happen." She squinted at his message, not really knowing what he meant by that and wondered if she should reply or not.

She checked her tablet. She previously set up alerts whenever her name was mentioned, both Crawford and Wasabi. What she saw made her curse out and she wanted to punch something, someone, in the face, because the headlines had her name in them.

 _ **Ex-boyfriend reveals all: How I was used for manipulation by a clever blonde.** Kim Crawford's ex reveals that she used him to make Jack jealous. And he is not the only one._

 _ **Conniving Kim: Is she using boys to advance herself in life?**_

 _ **Was Kick Planned by Kim All Along?**_

 _ **Quarterback, Rising Star, Pop Idol. Who's next for Scheming Kim?**_

The ground zero for all the articles seemed to be the post on GossipGirls dot com by Eric Stormer:

 _We here at GossipGirl have the latest scoop on Kim Crawford (Wasabi), whose meteoric rise into celebrity status was propelled by her real and rumored romances with famous young men. It would seem that Ms. Crawford has a taste for rich and famous, or even simply popular guys. Our reporter interviewed sources close to Kim and we discovered that she left a string of broken hearts and disappointed hopes in her wake. She is a serial dater and prefers young men, who have some clout. Her latest mark - Ricky Weaver, who is expected to join Kim at the fundraiser she is organizing.  
_

The article proceeded to mention every guy that Kim even stood near in the effort to paint her as a social climber, who only went for somehow popular, famous or rich guys. It also implied that the food poisoning and the dead puppy were suspect, as she - Kim - directly benefited from it. Apparently, attention whore that she was, would stage something like that.

This must be why Brett was apologizing. She called him ready to bite his head off.

"Brett! What the hell?" She did not bother with pleasantries.

"Good morning to you too, Kim. I guess you saw the articles..." he sounded kind of afraid.

"These are not articles. These are slander and speculation. What possessed you to talk about me with a reporter? I did not think there were any hard feelings between us."

"I didn't! I did not talk to anyone. Well, I talked to guys, you know, locker room chatter, when the whole Kim Wasabi and then Ricky stories started coming up. Guys were just curious about us and I told them a little. But I did not think any of it will be heard by any reporters," he sounded genuine enough and Kim just growled in frustration.

"Fuck this life. This is the third time that Eric sniffed around and then came up with utter bullshit. How does he do that? Who talks to him?" She was venting and Brett was making sympathetic noises.

Kim was quiet now still looking at articles and wondering what to do.

"Kim, are you still there?" Brett ventured and Kim made affirmative sound. "Are you mad at me? Do you think Jack is mad at me? I mean, its not entirely my fault, right?"

"Are you afraid Jack will pummel you?"

"No, I am afraid you will. He can be reasoned with. And you, you have mad temper..." Brett trailed off realizing what he was saying to Kim. "I mean, you are, like, passionate and all, and you have black belt."

"Don't worry. I won't injure our quarterback."

"Thank you Kim. See you at school."

Comments under each article were like the pit full of vipers. Everyone was agreeing that she must be looking only at rich and famous. There were few, who pointed out that as Bobby Wasabi's daughter, she really did not need money. Most agreed that she was so not worth anyone's attention, but especially not of Ricky's and Jack's. These two were pitied for falling for such obvious fame-hungry hussy.

Like deja vu, she called Jack to alert him of this development.

"Just so you know, you are only a stepping stone in my plan to conquer the world." She announced, when Jack answered a phone.

"OOOK. Why do you want to conquer the world exactly? I am on your side, of course."

"Because I want all the fame and all the money." Kim offered. "Jack, take a look at GossipGirls site."

"What the hell? Where do they get these stories? And Brett? Brody? Even Frank is mentioned. You never gave him time of day."

"Brett talked to guys at school about us dating, when the Kim Wasabi story first broke. Someone either overheard, or talked to the reporter. Brett swears it wasn't him."

"If you want, I can issue denials."

"And nobody will buy it, because they never do with official statements. Plus, you are under my thrall. You'd do anything for me, according to the gossip rags." Kim said sarcastically.

"I _would_ do anything for you." Jack was serious and his voice had the gravitas of the oath.

"I know... Don't worry about me, I'll think of something. It's not that bad. You and I know the truth. So do our friends. And all this attention will be good tonight at the fundraiser. This is free publicity."

"I'll come and pick you up. You want Bobby to send ninjas?"

"We would need them tonight. For now, I think you and I can handle any of those vultures by ourselves."

They hang up and Kim went to check her social media pages. Her latest post, which was yesterday was a picture of the fundraiser invitation that had a stylized puppy cuddling with a kitten, with a tagline: Hope to see you guys there.

The post had thousands likes, but the messages changed tone from supportive to questioning to accusatory some time in the early morning hours.

Blackbeltkimc at blackbeltkimc: _wow, I went on couple of dates years ago, it became news yesterday and people are now mad. good morning to you all. Please don't forget to support Pawtastic Pets tonight._

She closed her accounts and got ready for school.

* * *

It was weird again. The whispering, the gawking, not too quiet conversations about the articles, but Kim was uses to it by now and shrugged it all off. She was assigned a new locker and was nearing it, when Donna approached her.

"Oh, look at our local drama queen. Why are you here and not in LA with Ricky?"

"What do you want, Donna?"

"I think it's disgusting that you get all the credit for the fundraiser, when all of us were doing it. Just because you got some attention, now the school, the cheer squad, even the shelter are singing you praises. You only got it because of who you sleep with. I bet that food poisoning was just your puking because you are pregnant. Do you even know whose is it?"

"Donna, don't judge others by your own measure. I pitched the idea for the fundraiser. And others volunteered. You didn't have to. As for the attention, you can have it. Don't forget it comes with oodles of threats, hate, and no privacy. Buh-bye Donna."

Kim slammed the door and went down the hallway to her next class, silently fuming over the scene with Donna. She knew such talk already went around, but the articles made such a convincing portrait of a manipulative fame whore that she expected it to get much worse soon.

Jack was waiting for her by the door to the classroom and saw that she was pissed off. "Who was it this time?"

"Donna, the French braid to the left, Donna." Kim bit out quietly.

"Oh..."

"In case you are wondering: you are the baby daddy to my yet unborn child." Kim added and Jack's mouth hung open and he paled considerably.

"Whaaaaat?" he croaked and his eyes darted to her abdomen.

"Jack!" Kim shouted and punched his solar plex. "Its the latest of rumors that Donna is spreading."

"Oh... Oh... Of course. Why exactly she thinks you are, you know..." here Jack waived his hand in the general vicinity of her abdomen.

"Because she is vicious? Because the article suggested I am making shit up, including food poisoning? Because she hates me?"

"What are we going to do about it?"

"Well, this particular rumor is local only and in a few months it would be obvious it's not true. I say, let it go and ignore that viper if possible."

* * *

After school, the whole gang and a bunch of volunteers were preparing school for the fundraiser. There were decorations, prizes, games, photo booth, food donated by various vendors and, as a surprise, a performance by Izzy and his band. The cheer squad prepared a new routine and the arts and drama clubs were ready with their own entertainment.

Kevin showed up with some volunteers and was grumbling about how much he hated dealing with peoples as opposed to animals.

Kim Instagrammed candid photos of preparations periodically, hoping to entice more people to this shindig. She was finishing her last post when she saw a message from Ricky.

therealrickyweaver at blackbeltkimc: _just saw the tabloids. Sorry. Wow. I say that a lot to you. On plus side, I might show up there after all. Add me to the program if you can. Might as well use fame for smth good._

blackbeltkimc at the therealrickyweaver: _will you perform?_

therealrickyweaver at blackbeltkimc: _i can if you need me too. probably not the latest songs tho:-) don't want Jack or press get wrong ideas._

blackbeltkimc: _agreed. not recent songs._

blackbeltkimc at blackbeltkimc: _Just confirmed - Ricky W. will be at the fundraiser and agreed to perform. He and Bobby Wasabi also pledged to match all donations. So don't forget your checkbooks!-)_

* * *

rw4ever: omg, RW will be at Seaford High to perform at a fundraiser.

weavermagic: what? how?

rw4ever: that Kim girl is planning a fundraiser for the animal shelter.

weavermagic: I can't decide if I hate her or admire her.

rw4ever: as long as she is w/ Jack and not RW, then I don't hate her.


	20. Chapter 20

Jack was torn between being content and worried sick. His and Kim's relationship was all that he could hope for, but the worry over the latest message from his personal hater was threatening to consume him. When he was with Kim he could almost forget everything, and for short periods of time he did, but then the worry would reinsert itself. Frustrated with his inability to do anything about the hateful messages, he turned to Milton. He tried to help, but his forte was more of the mechanical and engineering, rather than computer sciences. Or, as Milton would put it, he was not a code monkey. What Milton did discover though was that the entire Wasabi gang, except for Kim, started receiving somewhat negative messages consistently around the time Jack's movie was released. This wasn't much, but it did indicate that someone, who crossed path with the Wasabi boys in the past was harassing them online. It was Milton's suggestion that the hater sent the puppy images to Jack only because Jack cared about Kim and it was a public knowledge. Anymore details would require skill level beyond Milton's.

Jack was contemplated appealing to Bobby for him to hire some hacker to try and trace the messages to their sender, but he felt like he was blowing things out of proportion. Like, who did not get negative messages online? The coincidence was flimsy at best and he wasn't sure Bobby's paternal attitudes towards Kim would go this far.

He was at his house getting ready for the actual fundraiser. He was instructed by Kim to at least shower, use cologne and comb his hair. The latter one was unnecessary really. Didn't she know him? Jack was mentally girding himself up to dealing with media, gawking people, rich guys like Andrew, and Ricky, which is why he was surprised when Milton showed up at his house with a most unexpected girl as his companion.

"Hi Milton. Would you introduce me to your date?" Jack politely turned to the girl with multicolored hair, two facial piercings (nose and brow), and a very goth make-up.

"Dude! I am not his date. I am here to help." The girl offered her hand, "Call me Bryn."

"Hello Bryn. I am Jack," he wasn't sure what to make of it and turned to his friend. "Help with what exactly?'

"Bryn is 'helping,'" here Milton's voice made it clear that help wasn't exactly free, "with tracing the messages."

"Ahh.. the code monkey," Jack said and then looked at Bryn apologetically. "Sorry."

"Dude, don't worry. I getting my deal here, so I don't care what you call me. I need your phone." She opened her palm and made grabbing motion.

Jack recoiled at this and looked at Milton again.

"Jack, Bryn can trace the actual messages on your phone. She already did everything she could about the social media pages. She did it to my phone."

Reluctant Jack passed the phone and Bryn started furiously typing. At some point she sat down on the couch, connected his phone to her tablet and went on typing on it.

Milton grabbed Jack by the elbow and steered him to the kitchen. "I should tell you that we are buying her a new tablet. Its part of the deal."

"Milton, what is going on?"

"Remember how I found that all the messages to you, Jerry and me started around the same time? Well, I run the messages through a little algorithm I made and found similarities in the sentence structures and vocabulary. Do you know what that means?"

"Milton, you know I don't. Just tell me already."

"You have no appreciation for the proper delivery of the important messages." Milton said, but at Jack's glare he quickly added, "it means that the sender is likely the same person, or they are working from the same script. It is a coordinated effort. Even if it is only to harass us and make us uncomfortable, the root of the problem is the same guy. It could be more, but they all have one thing in common: we did something to them and they are now taking it out on us."

"So all three of us did something to this guy or guys, and they now retaliate by posting nasty stuff. And they got to Kim because they want to get at me?"

"Well, it is possible that Kim has her own harassers independent of her association to you. It could be that the locker image was used by your hater only as a convenient way of unsettling you."

"Well, it is something. And Bryn is doing what exactly?"

"Since you got messages directly on your phone and email, she can trace their IP address. That can give us some sense of where they are located."

"And more," Bryn added from the living room. "If it is a residence or even an office, I can find who they might be."

"Oh... Thanks..."

"The new tablet is the thanks I need."

"How did you find her?" Jack whispered to Milton.

"I have made a number of interesting acquaintances thanks to my research on these messages. Bryn is local and we connected."

It was another half an hour before Bryn groaned and lifted her head. "Well, I hoped for an easy answer, but this guy is good. They are not using the same device. At most two, three, messages are sent from the same IP address and then it changes. The one I traced so far is a public library. I suspect that that would be the case with other messages as well."

"So, you can't help us find the guy?" Jack was disappointed.

"I didn't say that. It would take more time and I can trace the addresses and we can figure out where they are clustered. It might be that our guy is only using public access computers in Seaford."

Bryn left with a promise to update them on any discoveries she might make and Jack and Milton went to pick up Kim. Unexpectedly, or rather as an oversight on their part, they were not prepared for all the media camped at Kim's house. Jack just cut through the crowd like a knife and Milton was left trailing behind him. When they got inside, Kim's parents were already dressed and waiting for Kim. When she came down, Jack momentarily forgotten where he was. She looked ethereal in a strapless dress with a fitted top and a cloud-like skirt. It was cream colored and her skin looked like it was made of rose gold and her hair was in swept to the side and over the shoulder. She looked so beautiful. Jack didn't want to go anywhere, fully expecting a circus tonight.

* * *

Sure enough, by the time they arrived at the fundraiser, it was already full and everyone wanted to talk to Kim and Jack, shake their hands and take pictures. Jack was wishing for Ricky's arrival like never before. It reminded him of the movie opening. People greeted him as he walked through the room. They patted him on the back and congratulated him by name like they've known him his entire life. He didn't even recognize half their faces.

He was talking to Bobby and kept his eyes on Kim. She was handling herself well. She was naturally warm and had that ingrained politeness with strangers. Of course, he knew that she had a temper and could swear a blue streak. She was approached by Andrew and an older couple he assumed to be his parents and he could already see that she was clenching her teeth behind the smile. He caught her gaze and gave her a small smile. She smiled back and for that second her smile was genuine. Then Andrew said something and her expression faltered.

There's a tense moment where all four stood and smiled awkwardly at one another. Something went on unsaid between Kim and Andrew and Jack had a pretty good idea what that was.

"Sorry to interrupt, Andrew was it, but I was hoping to maybe steal Kim away for a little bit?"

Jack stood next to the group, his tall frame and forbidding expression making him even larger in presence. Kim smiled at him fondly while Andrew's parents gave him a look of indifference.

"Of course, Jack. We wouldn't want to separate the couple in love." Andrew's tone was dripping with some kind of knowing innuendo and Jack unconsciously tightened his jaw and fists. His expression must have been scary enough that Andrew's mother teetered, "Oh Andrew! Don't embarrass the kids. Go ahead darlings, we will be fine."

Jack glared at Andrew one more time before Kim went ahead and grabbed his hand to tug him along. They stopped by Bobby, who had helped himself to some food, and Kim hissed, "I wish I could flip this guy into the wall. Jerk with money... Did you need anything?" Kim finished addressing Jack.

"Oh, I don't need anything but it looked like you did. I thought I would save you from the awkward situation. What did he say to you?"

"Oh, not important."

"Kim..."

"Jack..."

"Children, please, don't waste your time on some unimportant things and people. I know Bowdens. They are self indulgent, spoiled people, disliked by all who know them. Their money opens doors for them, but that's all they are good for." Bobby offered and Kim stared at him with gratitude. She smiled and kissed his cheek and Bobby beamed at her in return.

Jack took her hand and together they went to the drinks table. As Kim leaned over to chat with the kid manning the table, Jack was distracted by her outfit, which has been an increasingly normal occurrence that he really needed to shake. Her blonde curls were cascading over her one bare shoulder, exposed by her strapless cream dress. From this angle he can see that she had a hair comb holding her hair to the side. It made her look older, sophisticated. She turned around holding two cups. She caught his expression, blushed, and said in an undertone, "Stop that. I don't want to give any more ammunition to the gossip mongers about my wiles."

"You're no fun."

The pout that Kim gave him was adorable and he wondered if he could kiss it away, to replace her pout with a very different expression.

"You know how much fun I can be."

He doubted that it was supposed to come out as low and throaty as it did. He started leaning towards her to whisper his agreement that she was indeed a lot of fun, when he heard a noticeable rise of chatter and eventually _Oh, Ricky, He is here._

"Well, I guess we can be left alone for now. Everybody will be distracted by him." Jack raised his brow at Kim.

"Yes, but I need to greet him and you should too," Kim said apologetically and Jack sighed. She was right.

* * *

Jack was right about Ricky's presence taking away attention from him. Kim, on the other hand, became even more in demand, mostly because Ricky fairly attached himself to her and talked only about how much he loved animals. It killed any other conversations people tried to have with Ricky. Jack would admit that it was clever. Anyone who tried to veer into Ricky's music, songs, inspirations behind songs, his friendships and love life, appeared like the worst of the gossips.

When the time for musical performances came, Jack was relieved to have his girlfriend back. She and Ricky spent the previous hour making circles and talking to people. It must have been exhausting, because at some point Ricky made gagging face at Jack and got an elbow to the side from Kim for his effort.

First up was Izzy and Jack laughed at the puzzled expressions on Seaford's elite's faces when they heard the loud, rocking sound. Then came Ricky's turn and he opened with one of his older and slower songs. Jack turned to Kim, "Shall we dance?"

"Are you sure, Jack? Aren't you too much of a dude to slow dance?"

"For you, milady, anything." he offered with a charming smile and Kim beamed at him.

They were in their own world and did not realize what a picture they presented: young, attractive, in love. There was a palpable emotion between them that even the harshest of critics could not deny.

* * *

After their slow dance, Jack had to relinquish Kim first to her dad and then Bobby. Kim was happy and laughing and Kevin told her that they raised twice the amount they hoped for. Ricky and Bobby were on hand and Kim jokingly told them that she expected their matching contributions by the end of the night. She was radiant and at some point went back to refreshments. At first, Jack was disappointed that she did not go back to him, but he was too distracted when he saw her grab a pastry from the table. It was a macaroon. It was a macaroon. IT WAS A MACAROON.

His hind brain made him run before he realized the importance of that detail. Jack sprinted to Kim and practically ripped the plate out of her hands. The forward motion of his sprint carried him over a little and he almost slammed Kim into the refreshment table. As it were, it looked like he angrily confronted her.

"Jack, are you okay?" Kim's eyes were huge and she looked at him quizzically.

He took several calming breath and then managed a stuttered whisper, "these are macaroons... Kim... macaroons."

"What?... Oh... You think these are the same like the poisoned ones? How can you be sure?"

"I... I don't know how... But I am sure... Even if I am wrong, I'd rather not take chances." He lifted his hand and cupped the side of her face. He was still trembling from the adrenaline rush and his eyes were wild. She took a long look at him and then rose on her toes and, holding onto his chest for balance, she kissed him.

It lasted seconds. Or years. Or forever. He was not sure, but it was not important.

She let go of him, lowered herself back, and resolutely turned to the girl who was behind the table staring at them with shocked expression.

"Sam... Sammy... Samantha!" that got the girl's attention and she snapped her eyes to Kim.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know if anyone ate these macaroons?" Kim asked pointing at the plate of pastries.

"No, I don't think so. I don't remember putting them here in the first place." Sam told them with a bewildered expression.

Jack felt like the bottom of his stomach fell. He was almost sure, but now his suspicion was a probability. He took the whole plate and marched to Kim's dad, who stood next to Bobby and Ricky. Their expression was changing from that of general good mood to concern to fear as Jack approached them.

He stopped in front of Kim's dad and said, "I think you were right. Kim is being targeted."


	21. Chapter 21

Despite the dramatic announcement, they really could not just ditch the party that Kim essentially was hosting. They finished the obligatory entertainment and the presentation of the checks to Kevin. When it was all said and done, they still had to help with the clean up. Jack was on pins and needles and followed Kim around irrationally afraid that something would happen to her while he was not looking. He was not he only one. Her dad was equally worried about her and was following her as well. At some point Kim had to hiss at both of them to leave her alone as she was going to the ladies' room. Her mom went with Kim and Jack waited outside the bathroom uncomfortably aware of the looks form other patrons.

They finally got to Bobby's mansion. It was the only place big enough to hold everyone. While Kim and her mom were freshening up, Jack and Chuck, as Kim's dad told everyone to call him, were comparing notes on their observations so far. Both agreed that police was not likely to step in just yet, considering that the test on macaroons had to be performed, before they could confirm that another attempt on Kim was made. They were brainstorming their plan of action, when Ricky offered a solution for the time being. It was perfect, they just had to convince Kim of that.

"You got me a what?" Kim's expression was both incredulous and mad.

"A body guard. This is Jeremy, one of my own bodyguards." Ricky said proudly and Kim did not think she could get more irritated.

"What? Why?"

Jack, her parents, Bobby and Ricky all stood around her in what she started calling the situation room in Bobby's mansion. She stood facing them, arms crossed in front of her chest and leaning against the high back of the chair.

"Baby girl, you are not safe right now. Someone out there wants you hurt. They tried to poison you twice and they are capable of cruelty." Kim's dad was patient but exasperated.

"We don't know if any of this is related. We haven't gotten the test results and why are we not talking to the police?"

"The tests will take some time and police does not think it is sufficiently threatening yet."

"The macaroons at the fundraiser could have been directed at anyone really." Kim was subsiding a little in the face of all the concerned people.

"I agree with Jack. It is too much of a coincidence."

"I'm sorry but I'm still a little stuck on the fact that y'all went and hired someone to basically stalk me 24/7 without asking me about it first. Ya'know that press and gawkers do that enough."

Jack was not surprised that she snapped at them. Kim was fiercely independent, hated to be a damsel in distress, hated to be seen weak and incapable.

"Whoever tried to kill you might still be out there. This way you'll have someone to protect you at all times." Kim's parents were pleading with her.

"Dad, I am seventeen. I don't need a babysitter."

"I know that. He's not here to tell you what to do, only to keep you safe."

"In case you haven't noticed, I am a black belt. Jack is with me at all times. In school and the dojo, I have Milton and Jerry with me in addition to Jack. There are even Bobby's ninjas available if need be. I'd say I'm pretty safe already."

"I've seen the security at your school and the mall. It could definitely use some work. Your martial arts skills are impressive, but won't do much if there are guns involved. Or a mob of people. I am trained for this and you are not." Jeremy added and did not falter at Kim's glare.

They stood in a silent stare off, six men and a woman against one girl, waiting for the other side to break. But Kim's dad proved that Kim got her spirit from him, because he was not backing down. Ultimately, it was Jeremy again, who broke the silence.

"Ms. Crawford, I promise you will barely even notice I'm with you. I understand the situation you're in and until the perpetrator is found it would be in your best interest to have someone around to watch your back."

Kim sighed in resignation and let her arms fall to her sides.

"I don't really have a choice in the matter, do I?"

Her question was full of reluctant acceptance as she looked to them for confirmation.

"Of course you do, but I would hope that you would see that I'm just trying to keep you safe." Chuck was speaking softly and Jack could see when Kim acquiesced.

"Fine. But he doesn't come in my room or touch my things, got it? There are some things a girl needs to keep sacred."

Jack smirked at that. He could already see that the new security would cramp their style, but at least her room was off limits.

"Of course, Miss Crawford. Whatever you are comfortable with."

"And please, call me Kim."

"Then you can call me Jeremy. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kim."

Jeremy held out his hand to give hers a firm shake.

"Right, it's nice meeting you, too. And thank you, for agreeing to look out for me. I don't want to seem unappreciative of the commitment you just made." There's a pause in the conversation then before Kim continued. "Well if you don't mind I am beat and want to take off this dress and shoes..."

* * *

Kim's Google alert the next morning was pinging again and she groaned a the sense of deja vu. Reluctantly, she looked at her tablet.

 _ **TMZ: Spotted!** _

_Celebz attending the small town charity event last night. The town: Seaford, CA; the event: animal shelter fundraiser; celebz: Ricky Weaver, Jack Brewer, Izzy Gunnar, Bobby Wasabi and Kim Crawford (Wasabi). See all the coverage in the gallery below! There are some very pretty pictures of the young stars. The event was organized by Kim Crawford, with the support of her school. Jack Brewer was there to support his girlfriend. Ricky made a surprise appearance at his friend's event. The rumors of the love triangle between the three were mostly laid to rest; however, witnesses reveal that Ricky and Kim were very chummy all evening and at some point Jack confronted Kim about it. If there was jealousy issues, they couple seemingly worked it out, as they were seen passionately kissing by the end of the night._

 ** _GossipGirls dot com: Hottest party in Seaford, CA, is a smashing success._**

 _Kim Crawford should be rightfully proud with her party-organizing skills. The fundraiser for the animal shelter that she volunteers at was well attended and the amount raised was above and beyond expectations. It helped that Bobby Wasabi and Ricky Weaver both pledged to match total donations of the evening. You heard us right! Ricky was in Seaford again. It seems that nothing can keep him away from the picturesque seaside town and the its residents. He is busy promoting his new album and yet found time to come and support his very special friend, Kim Crawford. We are sure that Kim welcomed his presence, but not everyone was equally pleased. Upon arrival, Ricky spent a lot of time talking with Kim and acting as her co-host for the event. It certainly gave Jack Brewer, Kim's current boyfriend and her rumored dad's protege, something to think about. With recent reports of Kim's preference for successful and famous partners, it is possible that Jack feels insecure about his position as Kim's one and only. Take a look at this tense conversation between the couple: it is obvious that Jack is displeased. Of course, Kim knows how to diffuse the situation._

The article had a bunch of linked articles with truly alarming number of headlines:

 **Jack and Kim? Will they last?**

 **America's black belt sweethearts: all the information**

 **The new man-eater! Kim just in it for fame and fortune, old friends reveal**

 **Nothing but love in sight! Sources close to Ricky and Kim confirm that their relationship is serious**

 **Ricky Weaver and Kim Crawford attend the fundraiser together**

 **Is Kicky truly over: Witnesses tell that Ricky, Jack and Kim were inseparable and we wonder who is dating whom in this triangle?**

What a waste of her perfect plan to ensure that everyone thought they were just friends. It seemed that the public opinion was once again evenly split between those who thought she was with Ricky and those who thought she was with Jack. She sighed again. This was not even her top priority any more. She might have an enemy, who decided that they need to hurt her. She would bet her monthly allowance it was connected to her relationships, real and perceived, with Jack and Ricky. She still was unsure whether there was an enemy. She hoped it was just Jack and her dad being overprotective and possessing wild imagination. She really did not want to think there was someone who wanted to hurt her.

She shook her head and went to get ready. It was Saturday and she planned on going to the shelter today. Jeremy knew of her plans and was supposedly meeting her here soon. She closed her tablet and went to get ready for the day.

* * *

Re: Fundraiser with Kick

jbgirl: what the hell happened there? did you see that JB was all up in Kim's face and then, BOOM, they are kissing like its a movie or something?

bbelt: yeah, its strange. i mean, first, they are all Disney dancing, then this weird confrontation, then the movie kiss. what is going on?

jbgirl: i don't think it's because of Ricky. he was singing and they were dancing, so it can't be jealousy.

bbelt: yeah, but before that he was with Kim all the time. God, I wish we knew what they talked about!

* * *

Kim stopped by the BestBuy on the way to the shelter. Her headphones died and she wanted a pair before she started her shift at the shelter. Jeremy was circumspect as promised, but it was fairly obvious that he was her bodyguard. Kim went to the store with her shadow in tow and abruptly stopped when she saw the giant TV screens.

"Oh my god, why is my face in high def? That is a giant face! Oh god, you can see my mascara was smudged! I need to buy a better mascara. Clearly. Ugh. I don't need that in my life right now."

Rows upon rows of giant, top-of-the-line televisions lined the back wall of the store, all of them currently showing her face from last night, when she was standing next to Ricky during the check presentation. The kept playing the same loop of Ricky handing the check to Kevin, her whispering to Ricky, him looking at her with a smile and then the camera would cut away to Jack. Then it would start again. The running tape on the bottom read that the new romance between Ricky Weaver and Kim Crawford is harder to deny after the last night. Unbelievable.

Kim was moderately pleased that her face was not shiny and her hair was fairly decent. If it wasn't for that close up where you can see the mascara smudge, she'd say she looked fine on TV.

Deciding that she could not do anything about the TV and mascaras, Kim walked up to the help desk in the handheld electronics section, drumming her fingernails in a quick little rhythmic beat until the teenaged boy sitting behind it looked up.

"Hi. How can I help… _you_ ," the teenager said, eyes widening and voice squeaking on the last word.

To be fair, he looked about the age that his voice still squeaks at random intervals anyhow, but Kim thought that this time it had more to do with the giant TVs behind her with her face on them than it did with his hormones.

"Yup. Me. The only person here. Well, there is Jeremy, but he is with me. Not with me, with me. He is... You know, never mind. I need new headphones like these. Can you help me with that? Please?" She said using her best Southern Belle accent and smiled at him.

"Oh, OK... We have a whole variety. I can recommend depending on how you plan to use them. Like, say, someone who is used to studio level headphones, might prefer a higher grade product..." the boy finished, his eyes darting around the store as if Ricky might possibly be browsing through the video game section or standing at the check-out line.

Kim looked at him for a moment because _really_? How was this her life again? It took everything she had not to punch the guy. She heard Jeremy clearing his throat and realized that she was clenching her fists.

"No, I need headphones that will survive being chewed by wild animals," she finally said in what she felt was the most obviously sarcastic and dry tone ever.

" _Really_?" The guy asked, his eyebrows shooting up and his jaw dropping.

"God, no. Not really. I don't go around wild nature looking for animals to pet. Because personal experience," Kim told him. "Can you just give me the ordinary ones, please? I'm kinda under a time crunch and really I'd prefer not to be here when someone posts a shot of me on Facebook and the news crews get wind of where I am. Can you understand that?"

"I… yeah, I guess. I mean being on TV is cool and all but maybe not like all the time and stuff," he said a bit of a flush working its way across his acne-ridden cheeks.

"Right. Let's go with that," Kim smiled at him kindly because, really, he was at least sympathetic.

"I'm gonna have to check the stockroom. I'll be right back," the guy told her, getting up and hurrying towards a door marked employees only.

Couple of moments later, her phone pinged and she reached for it resigned that there was fresh news about her already.

 _Weaverworld dot com_

 _Re: Kim Crawford/Wasabi_

 _She is shopping at BestBuy and one of Ricky's personal bodyguards is with her. I bet Ricky is nearby._

She cursed and turned to Jeremy, "We have been spotted by Ricky's fans. We need to go."

It was fascinating to see Jeremy's whole appearance and body language change in a nano second. His eyes swept the area; he went slightly ahead of her, blocking her from the windows and his face had the most unreadable expression. He swiftly walked to the front door and quickly surveyed the parking lot in front. There were people, but not a real crowd. He turned to her, nodded his head and she followed him out. As they marched through the lot, she could hear the clicks of cameras and kept her eyes on the ground, until they reached the car. She practically fell onto the back seat, remembering at the last moment that she wore a dress and made sure her underwear did not show. Jeremy started driving slowly making way out of the lot.

"I still don't have headphones..." Kim said to herself and had to laugh at the way her brain worked.

"Give it couple of days. They'll spot him somewhere else and they'll leave you alone."

"Hope springs eternal."

Kim really hated her life now.


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: The past two chapters were plot heavy, but I'll try to include some normal human interactions for our protagonists.

Kim, her mother and Jeremy left the mansion to go home and the remaining group stuck around to discuss the next steps. Both Ricky's and Bobby's bodyguards were on hand as well. Jack could not deny that he felt relieved that so many people were invested in Kim's well-being, even if one of them was not entirely platonic.

Chuck was seething that someone wanted to hurt his little girl. Jack and Ricky both felt that he was sort of blaming them. It was fair to assume that the hate directed at Kim was mostly because of the relationship she had with either of them. Ricky's head of security, who went by Sledge (last name and nothing else), started the conversation.

"Ricky has several die-hard fans that have been nearly stalking him for a while. Both virtually and in real life. We do not keep tabs on them all the time, but the entire team is aware of them, knows their faces and the length they'll go to get close to Ricky. It is possible that one of them is upset at the closeness between Ricky and Ms. Crawford" here Ricky bowed his head and shrugged his shoulders, as Chuck glared at him, "but it is a leap to assume that one of them would do anything against her besides a few offensive messages. Poisoning and mutilating an animal is a more serious step."

"All right. So Jeremy knows them and if he spots them around, he would notify us." Chuck was nodding along. "Maybe you should give this information to myself, Bobby and Jack, just in case."

It was then that Jack felt he should bring his own news. "I have been getting consistent hate mail and messages from one person, or a group of persons working together, since the movie. At first, the messages were directed only at me, or so I thought. Turns out Milton and Jerry got them as well. Milton believes it is the same person. Something about the language being similar. It seems that we did something in the past to piss off this guy or guys. This hater had mentioned Kim twice now. Both time because of that puppy episode."

Chuck perked up at this. "How did you figure it out?"

"Well, after the locker I asked Milton to clean up Kim's social pages. He did that to my accounts before. He found messages and run an analysis on them. He already had access to his accounts and Jerry's."

"Can he analyze the messages from Ms. Crawford's accounts as well?" Sledge was sharp.

"He did. It's not a consistent match. He thinks that my hater uses Kim as a way to get to me. But she must have her own harassers."

"We should get this Milton to run the same analysis on Ricky's accounts. Although I might take a while. Do you think if he knows the handles of the die-hard fans, he can isolate those?"

Jack was embarrassed by how little he know of what Milton did. "He said something about the algorithm. He might..."

"It's late now and we should re-group tomorrow. Ricky is leaving early tomorrow and Jeremy can meet with Milton to see if his analysis would help."

Chuck was still troubled. "None of it ties to the poisoned food. Hopefully the lab can show it is the same toxin and then, maybe, police would believe it is a threat enough."

Bobby suddenly butted in, "You know, I remember it from one of my movies, but they say that poison is typically woman's choice of weapon. If they want to murder, they prefer methods that leave their hands clean."

"That does not narrow anything. Most of Ricky's and Jack's fans are girls." Chuck said unhappily.

"But Jack's hater also has a beef with Milton and Jerry. If we assume that that hater is the same one, who targeted Kim, then we are looking into boys' history to find a disgruntled girl or a woman." Bobby was excited about his theory.

"That is too many assumptions," Sledge said. "Right now we have two distinct wrong-doers: one who is harassing boys online, and one who has done overt acts of aggression against Ms. Crawford. The two have very different m.o."

There was a long silence after this and the group eventually dispersed, having nothing else to brainstorm.

* * *

Jack was home, having been dropped off with some ninjas to help him through the crowd at Bobby's mansion gate. He knew that Kim was probably exhausted and she had planned to go to the shelter tomorrow. He sighed. He would not see her until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. She worked so hard on the fundraiser that she had barely had time to breathe and he was planning to take her on a date. Now, though, he was worried that the press will make it difficult for them to go anywhere public. He had to think about that. He sent her a message of good night and saw a message from Milton.

gingergenius at jackbrewer: _Jack, some good and bad news from Bryn. Bad news, they use different public access devices. Good news, it is clustered around Seaford, except for some of the earliest messages. Those originated from farther away. Bryn thinks that the hater travelled from somewhere to Seaford in the last six months._

He was not sure how it would help, but if Milton thought it was a good news, he'd take it as such.

He was checking his social media and was at once amused and outraged by his fans reactions to all the fundraiser coverage. The messages ranged from "you look so happy with her" to "drop that bitch before she drops you." It seemed that some people bought into this nonsense about Kim being a gold-digging and attention-seeking girl. Maybe the public should see how they really were... He had an idea and he needed to check a few things.

* * *

Kim and Jeremy arrived at the shelter and luckily, their small parking lot was too full for the reporters to follow them. Jeremy got out of the car and Kim had to wait for him to come around. She felt utterly ridiculous, like the time when Bobby, Jack and ninjas followed her like a princess to her own house.

Once inside, she relaxed and fell against the front door.

"Kim! The magic fairy that blessed us with all the money! How are you?" Kevin was happy and it took him a second to register Kim's expression and demeanor. "Let me guess, the vultures?" At her nod, he continued, "Come and look at all the positive messages people posted on our Facebook page and restore your belief in humanity. If it does not help, we have a new foundling kitten. It is your turn to name him."

She smiled at that and waived her hand at Jeremy, "Kevin, this is Jeremy. He'll be around for the foreseeably future. He is my - and I can't believe I am saying this - personal bodyguard. Jeremy, this is Kevin. He runs this place and is my boss."

Kevin had a thoughtful expression on his face. "If you need to be around Kim at all times, then maybe I should put you on the reception desk today? You'd be stationary, behind the counter, and you will have the view of everyone approaching."

"That should be fine. Please don't feel like you should change anything because I am here. I am adaptable."

Kim was miffed. She loved working with animals, and being on desk duty was kind of a shit assignment. You had to deal with all the callers and walk-ins. She sighed, resigning herself to the long morning. Jeremy took the post in the lobby, effectively screening anyone with a long lens cameras and filtering the incoming crowd. It was funny to watch how people reacted to his bulky and intimidating appearance.

It was close to the end of her shift, when a young girl, maybe couple of years younger than her, approached the counter.

"Hi, I am interested in adopting a pet today. I really like cats," the girl was smiling and then took a good look at Kim and her expression changed. And… Kim really couldn't figure out the look on her face. It was like she was apprehensive or stunned or something and Kim prepared herself for the barrage of questions and insults.

"Hi, I am Kim. We have several cats of different ages here. Do you have preferences? We have a form we'd like the prospective adopters to fill in," she said with a little smile that was really just clenched teeth and stretched lips. The girl stared at Kim for a good five seconds, before Kim coughed to get her attention.

"Of course," the girl said, flushing as she spoke. "I'm so sorry. It's… I just saw you, like, everywhere on the news, and here you are..."

"Between you and me, I am having a surreal day so far. It's different when your face is on a TV screens," Kim smiled more genuinely now.

"Yeah, I can only imagine what you've been through. I'm… so sorry for all of that. And for making your day worse and staring like an idiot."

Kim blinked in surprise and noted the wary way Jeremy was studying the girl. Which was sort of ridiculous, because the girl was a slip of a thing and probably scarcely out of her tween years. Kim could knock the girl down with one hand. Then again, she was not about to question his professional instincts.

The girl filled in the form and was silent throughout, but she smiled a little oddly at Kim the whole time and it _was_ a little weird _._

"Would you be showing me the available cats? How does this go usually?" the girl asked.

"No, we have the whole in-take process. You'll have the lecture and consent forms and then someone from the shelter will show you around," Kim replied, taking the form to file it properly and input the information into the system.

Okay, maybe she really did not have to do all of it right away, but the girl - Caitlyn according to the form - was creeping her out a little.

"Can I just-" Caitlyn started, apparently realizing that Kim was about to send her out and whatever she's been not-so-secretly dying to say might never get another chance to be said.

The girl actually put a hand on Kim's forearm to stop her, which had Jeremy resting his hand on his gun and standing _very_ at attention, but Kim was still almost sure this girl was harmless and she really did not want to be the catalyst for any bodily harm for _so many_ reasons. So, she just gave the girl a reassuring nod and Caitlyn removed her hand and gave a little nervous laugh.

"I can't believe my luck that I came in today, is all," Caitlyn said in a quiet voice. "I just… I'd been trying to get his attention for like _a year_ and then after the news and then here you are. It's like it was meant to happen finally, or something and I just… I'm sorry, I know you have a lot going on and you don't know me and you probably don't want to hear me babble at you about this-"

"Caitlyn, I get it. What's this about?"

"I... I am a huge fan of Ricky's. Like the hugest. I... was sick for a while and he...he showed up and greeted us in the hospital. I know that the celebs all do that, but... it meant a lot to me. We even took pictures together. I... I am better now, and at school things are better too... I am not afraid to go there anymore..."

Kim's breath caught a little as she thought she realized what Caitlyn was saying, and she gave the girl a bit of a nod, more serious than before.

"I thought I will never in my life be able to thank him enough because he _saved me_. So, I just… I need him to know. It's stupid maybe, because a 'thank you' from one fan doesn't mean much to him, but can you just please, _please_ … just tell him I said 'thank you?' And I have this," here she waived her phone and Kim was puzzled at first, "its this music I wrote. It's terrible, I know, but... maybe you can listen to it? And maybe give it to him to listen to? I am not a great singer, but...please..."

Caitlyn's eyes were watery and her face was flushed and her hands were still shaking and Kim was momentarily stunned at the power Ricky had over people and she felt ashamed that she dismissed him once as a stuck-up spoiled boy.

"Do you have friends now?" Kim asked her gently.

The girl pressed her lips together and shook her head really hard, loneliness evident in the girl's eyes. Kim knew she probably was making a stupid choice here. It was not something she should say, but she's going to anyhow. Because it was the right thing to do.

"I'll make you a deal," Kim told her. "I go to this dojo, Bobby Wasabi dojo at the mall. There are several of us, all good friends. If you promise me you'll come to our practice at least once - and that whenever you're ready - I'll pass on your message to Ricky."

"Kim," Jeremy said, in a disapproving tone.

"You will?" Caitlyn asked, wiping at her eyes as the tears finally spill over.

"First chance I get," Kim smiled.

Kim's shift was over and she left with Jeremy, leaving Caitlyn in Kevin's hands. She was sure only Jeremy's presence stopped the girl from giving her a hug.

"I can protect you from a lot of things, but not from yourself," Jeremy told Kim, leveling her with a serious look as soon as they were in the car.

And, yeah, maybe it _wasn't_ the safest move admitting to a total stranger that she would be in contact with Ricky, even if the entire planet seemed to be expecting it. But Kim couldn't bring herself to regret it. Doing the right thing wasn't always doing the safe thing and some risks were worth it.

And besides, Ricky would probably like to hear this kind of "thank you" from the fan.

The day might have started awfully, but it was looking up. Not all the attention was terrible, she did some good for the shelter and one lonely girl, and she had a date with Jack to look forward to.


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: I swear, I meant it all to be just romantic. But, stuff happened.

Kim was checking her phone for messages from Jack. They had plans for today, but she was now unsure if they could go anywhere public without the attention. She cursed the power of celebrity gossip and specifically that Eric guy for keeping the whole story alive. They almost succeeded in the last month and she only got occasional snaps of herself posted on random sites dedicated to either Jack or Ricky. The article about her exes and the fundraiser made the story fresh again and she was reminded of the beginning of the whole Kicky story.

Jack left a cryptic message to dress cute, but comfortable, and she wondered if it was inherent to all teenaged boys to assume that girls just showered, brushed hair and put on the first set of clothes they see in their closet. She texted Grace with an SOS: _date w/ Jack. clothes: cute and comfortable. any thoughts?_

Grace texted back almost immediately: _dress, flats, and a jacket._

Kim was already thinking of all her clothes options, when she mindlessly checked her social media accounts. Last night she posted pictures from the fundraiser with what she thought were highlights: Kevin beaming near the board with the donations total; crowd dancing and cheering during music performances (this one had Jack's profile as he sang along Izzy's songs), an action shot of the cheer squad routine; dance clubs number with Jerry front and center... She came to expect the certain types of responses. By far, positive outweighed everything else. There were few that were hateful: she was a vapid bitch, only getting the attention because of who she lets into her bed; she should go away; Jack and Ricky were better off without her. But one stood out to her. It was from a blocked profile - and she was sure it was one of the burner type of profiles - and it simply said: _You got away this time_.

Cold dread filled her and she was staring at the message for a long time. It was only Jeremy repeating her name that got her attention, "Kim, is everything alright?"

She cleared her throat and said, "Yeah, just, still not used to all the hate online... you know..."

Jeremy nodded his head, "We are here, Kim. I know you have plans with Jack. I'll be downstairs. Ready?" He was motioning towards the small camp of reporters on the sidewalk. Kim sighed and wished that someone famous somewhere did something stupid to get these guys off her back. She put her sunnies on and waited for Jeremy to come around. She could already hear the clicking and for the millionth time thought that celebrity life wasn't all that glamorous.

* * *

Jack hoped that the whole plan did not fall apart. He scarcely believed that he could organize everything in such a short time frame, but he should not have doubted anyone involved.

He came to pick her up, but Jeremy would end up driving them. Kim was dying to know where they were going, but Jack kept mum. Soon enough she recognized where they were. They arrived at the old movie theater that specialized in indie movies. The car stopped at the back door, which was held open by one of the attendants, and Jack and Kim quietly slipped in. They were showing Casablanca and the theater was surprisingly full. They were sitting at the back and Jack pulled out bag of M&M and Twizzlers for Kim. She was momentarily surprised that he remembered her favorite snacks, but then the movie called her attentions and she was transported into World War II drama and the impossible romance of Ingrid and Bogie. It was one of her favorites and she was misty eyed by the end.

They left the same way they came in and Jeremy was already waiting for them at the car. She was not sure if he was in the audience with them, but then again, she was distracted by the movie and Jack's arm that came around her shoulders and she slid down to rest her head on his chest. The quiet, steady heartbeat in her ear was at once reassuring and exciting. Her fingers splayed across his chest and Jack's own hand came up and he laced his fingers with hers. She would admit to being a total sap and staring at their hands and being ridiculously happy at that moment.

She thought that they were done, but Jack just said that they were not done yet and Jeremy drove them somewhere again.

They arrived at the Le Grenier, one of the fancier places in town. She was a little surprised and turned to Jack alarmed, "Jack, are you sure? This is kind of spendy..."

"Well, I am the 'rising star.'" Jack's tone was slightly mocking, but then turned serious, "Don't worry about it."

"Well, you could have least told me it would this fancy. I feel under-dressed." Kim grumbled, but Jack just smiled enigmatically.

They went in and Kim stopped for a second. The place was quietly expensive and there were few patrons. Most were older and Kim was sure that none of them were aware of the Kicky drama. The maitre d' took them to a quiet semi private booth and Jeremy took seat at a nearby table. She thought they caught attention of some people in the restaurant, but they were circumspect.

"How did you manage to get reservations here?"

"Bobby helped. He dines here enough."

The entire dinner Jack kept a steady chatter about karate, school, fundraiser. At some point he simply started quoting all the nice things his fans said about them and she was a little misty eyed again. She was not sure if it was because of the message she saw on her Twitter, but the was glad to hear that not everyone hated her.

They were already on their desserts, when Jack took her hand and told her quietly, "I know these past few weeks were hard on you. The fundraiser, the stories, the hate, everything... And they were kind of stressful for me too... But, I... I have never been happier. You don't regret anything, do you?"

Even if she wasn't already misty eyed, she would have burst into tears right then and there. She was blinking back tears and Jack looked alarmed.

"Wow, I am really bad at this. I made you cry again. Sorry..."

"No... These are good tears, I swear." Kim gave him a watery laugh.

"If you are sure..." He was interrupted, when Kim leaned over and kissed him briefly.

"And to answer your question, I have no regrets. I am happy too. When we are together I don't think of the world and attention."

Jacks smile was soft and his eyes even softer and Kim was floating in this feeling and wanting to preserve it forever.

The left the restaurant holding hands and smiling, Jeremy leading the way to the car. Kim expected they'd go home, but Jeremy took them to the karaoke cafe at the mall and Kim realized that she recognized the occupants of most tables. There were Milton, Jerry, Rudy, Bobby, Kevin, Grace and the girls from the cheer squad, some footballers. She turned to Jack and he just beamed, "I did not want anyone photographing us all the time and these are our friends. I thought it might be nice for your to remember that not everyone thinks you are a two-timing social climber."

"How did you get everyone here so quickly?" She marveled, waiving to her friends and smiling widely.

"Well, Grace and guys helped. And our friends are just that amazing. Shall we?"

The evening was a blast. They sang, they danced, they goofed. Her friends were amazing. At some point she was singing a duet with Milton (I got you baby by Sonny and Cher) and Jack stepped in and they finished the song together and it was the best ending for a great date.

They drove home, Kim smiling and humming and Jack was quietly pleased that he pulled off the date that was nearly perfect.

They got to Kim's house and found that Kim's parents were watching a movie. Jeremy made a sweep of the house, instructed them not to open doors or windows and and left, promising to be back bright and early. Jack said his goodbyes and kissed Kim on the cheek and left winking at Kim. She had a feeling that this was not the end of the date.

She slipped up the stairs and undressed changing into her sleep wear of shorts and tank top and waited. Sure enough, there was a familiar thwacking noise and she looks out to see Jack's upturned face. She was momentarily frozen looking at him in her back yard - hopeful, happy - and she reminded herself that they need to move fast.

He climbed the wall quickly and when he was inside, she simply watched him as he approached. He had a focused, intent, look on his face and she immediately flushed remembering all the times she saw that look on his face. He stood toe to toe with her and cupped her face in his hands.

"I missed you so much," he whispered.

"We just saw each other," she whispered back hugging him around the waist.

"No... I missed you... There are always people around us and there is Jeremy..."

"It wasn't my idea..."

"I know, I know. I am glad he is here to watch after you... But, I guess I haven't realized just how little of you I'll be seeing." He leaned in and kissed her lightly.

"I missed you too," Kim whispered against his mouth and it was like a match was lit and the fire that was always between them ignited.

The next kiss was more passionate and the two of them were stumbling towards her bed. They fell on it and Kim landed on top of Jack, who only tightened his grip on her. They kissed and Kim was sure that her lips would be swollen tomorrow. She pulled back and Jack whined a little. She only laughed quietly and dropped her mouth on his neck. There was one spot right underneath his ear tat she learned was very sensitive and Jack moaned and bucked under her, when she kissed and nibbled it. She kept kissing down his neck, while her hands worked to unbutton his shirt. When the shirt parted in the middle, Kim sat back to look at him again. He was impossibly gorgeous. Soft skin over hard muscle that was visible in the relaxed state. He was tan, his skin looked and felt warm. It was smooth except for a couple of old scars and she lavished kisses and attention on those as well. His muscle jumped at her touch and he was winding his fingers in her hair, muttering something unintelligible and profane.

He sat up and shrugged out of the shirt and she threw it, impatient to get her hands back on his body. She could feel the muscles of his back so much better without the material of his shirt.

He already snaked a hand under her top to clutch at her bare hip whilst his other hand tangles in her hair, angling her head for a deeper kiss. Jack, seemingly dissatisfied with the situation, got an arm around her waist and flipped them over, landing between the vee of her legs. She couldn't resist wrapping her thighs around him and pulling him closer. His hardness rubs up against her and she stopped the kiss to let out a soft moan.

Eyes open and looking at her, he ground his cock against her again, deliberate and slow this time. It dragged the seam of her sleep shorts over her clit and the friction felt amazing. She wanted more of him. She trailed her hand down and barely touches the skin above the waistline of his jeans, when he pulled back and dragged her top up and off over her head. He's got both hands on her hips now, pulling her into the roll of his hips. The pressure made it even better.

She could feel the ends of his longish hair tickle against her skin. He looked sinfully sexy with his hair tousled, shirtless, with his jeans still on, muscle undulating as he rolled his hips into her. She lifted her hand to tug on his hair and brought him down so that she could kiss him again on his neck, nibbling and sucking wherever her lips fell. She sucked hard just below his ear and she could feel his answering gasp against her hair and the stutter of his hips between her thighs.

Her hands traveled down his back to grab his butt. Digging her short nails in, she pulled him into her as she ground forward onto his hard cock.

"You were so pretty today in you dress. I wanted to touch you, to see if it was as soft as it looked. But never as soft as you... God, I want you so much," His voice was husky and sends shivers straight down her spine.

"I'm yours," her whisper was barely an exhale, she was so turned on.

She played her fingertips across the short hair below his belly button. She separated their hips so she could get his belt off and trailed kisses across his chest to make up for it. She found the nub of a hard nipple and pulled it between her lips, playing her tongue over it. His harsh breathing let her know that he liked it.

She was fumbling with his belt so Jack helped her get it off, unbuckled it and yanks it through the hoops. She managed the button and the zipper just fine though and soon she was parting his jeans to reveal what's beneath. She tugged them down just far enough to get unrestricted access to the large bulge straining the front of his tight, black underwear. She eagerly reaches her hand down and cups it around him, the material was soft against her palm but it did nothing to disguise the hardness of what's beneath.

She pumped her hand along his cock and rubs her thumb over the underside of the head. Her movements pulled the waistband away from his skin slightly, offering little glimpses inside. She was about to hook a finger in the gap when Jack grabbed both of her hands and stilled them.

She looked at him askance and he brought her hands up and kissed each of her delicate wrists, before dropping his weight onto his elbows, pinning her underneath and holding her hands down.

"Not yet... I haven't had enough of you yet," he muttered and kissed her again, the kissing already so addictive.

He pulled back and run his hands down her legs, pulling her shorts down and flinging it to the side. He littered kisses across her soft stomach and up her chest. She twined her hands in his hair and he's too busy sucking one of her nipples into his mouth and by the sounds of her moans she's enjoying it a lot. She was running her fingers through his hair and the tingling sensation on his scalp was wonderful. He swapped his attention to her other breast, biting it a little and she gasped _Jaaack_ and he was too impatient then to wait as he ripped her underwear off. Her eyes flew open and she stared at him with wild and dark eyes, something in them making him even harder if possible.

She's finally completely naked and he pulled back to look at her, the sight of her naked never too old or too habitual. Every time he looked at her like this there was something new to discover. Like her skin. It was delicate and golden and it showed her blush all the way to her chest. Or that she had a tiny waist he could nearly span with his hands.

She started to squirm under his appreciation and he could feel the need for her rise in him again: he had to taste her. He sucked kisses across her chest and stomach as he dipped his hand between her thighs, running fingertips over her clit before pushing one digit inside. She gasped and arched her hips off the table. "Oh... oh... oh... oh..." she sounded breathless and he wished she could be louder, but they were not alone in the house... He added another finger and strokes them over her sweet spot. He drifted all the way down and settled between her legs and moved his mouth over her. Licking her from top to bottom and swirling a pointed tongue over her sensitive nub.

She lifted her legs over his shoulders and he dropped one hand across her waist to stop some of the wriggling. He could already feel her tightening rhythmically around his fingers, he knew she was close. The more she moaned and quietly mutters nonsense words the more attention he paid to her clit.

"Just... there... yes... or yes..." she stuttered out and he sucked it into his mouth and quickly flicked his tongue over it and that was enough to send her over the edge. He could only hear and feel her shuddering breath and he looked up to see that she was biting her hand to stop the sounds. He could not stop himself licking over her gently while she came down and he placed a kiss on her quivering stomach, when she finally released her hand.

They lay like this for a bit: her calming down and him kissing her and desperately trying not to dry hump her. She must have caught onto his predicament, because she rose on her elbows, pushed him onto his back, and pointed at his boxers, "take them off." She ordered, and when he looked hesitant, she added, "now."

He slipped his thumbs underneath the waistband and dragged the soft material over his cock. His erection sprang free and it made a noise as it thudded against his toned stomach. She moved and crawled up between his legs, gripping his underwear and pulling it the rest of the way off. He looked so sexy now. Hair in all directions, cheeks flushed pink and his lips looked as kiss swollen as hers felt. Red marks litter his neck and she can make out fading, half-moon indents on a bicep, she assumes left by her fingernails although she couldn't remember.

"Kim, please." Jack looked tense, muscles coiled as if the strain of not reaching for her was almost too much. His chest was covered in a fine sheen of sweat that catches the light as it rose and fell with his panting breaths. "I can't… Please."

She knew Jack to be so self-assured, cocky. The sound of his voice, dropped low and rough, _begging_ was almost enough to break her. Holding his gaze, she lowered her head and licked a long stripe up the ridge of his cock. Jack couldn't stop his eyes from rolling or the moan that pushed passed gritted teeth.

Kim kissed the head before sucking it into her mouth. He grew even bigger, stretching her lips wide as she slowly bobbed up and down. She went slow trying to remember all that felt good to him that one time she did it, but at the moment she was surrounded by Jack, by the feel, the scent and the taste of him. She couldn't focus on anything else. Too consumed by the hot, thick feel of him in her mouth, the taste of him as she sucked him deeper.

Kim got her hand around what she couldn't fit in her mouth. Pumping him, she let her tongue play under the sensitive head of his cock, dragging over the slit when a bead of pre-come appears. She's rewarded with another, almost inhuman, groan from Jack and his hands tangling in her hair, holding her still. Keeping her lips tight around him she looked up into lust blown eyes, pupils so wide there's only a thin ring of color. She slowly pushed down until his cock hits the back of her throat, and then she swallowed. For this she's gifted the best sound of them all.

" _Kiiiiiim_."

She moaned, somehow turned on by the power she had over him, and she could feel him twitch in her mouth. She dropped her hand from the shaft to his balls that already tightened and moaned again and he jerked, whole body, under her and she felt the cum shoot inside.

When it stopped, she let go of him and slowly lifted herself to lie down next to him. He was still breathing like he ran a marathon and it was a while before he calmed down.

"I think I died... I think I get now why the French call it 'a little death.' You'll be the death of me, Kim Crawford."


	24. Chapter 24

**_GossipGirls dot com_**

 _Kim and Jack rekindle their romance with a romantic date! The young couple has gone through a rough patch and in the wake of the recent fundraiser, where the notorious ladies man Ricky Weaver had paid special attentions to Kim, they were seen trying to sneak into a screening of Casablanca. Later, the couple was spotted at a tony French eatery Le Grenier, where other patrons saw them locking lips. It seems that all is well with the Kick. It is a bit peculiar that one of Ricky's personal bodyguards is seen trailing Kim at all times. It is a departure from Kim's usual complement of ninjas, courtesy of her rumored dad Bobby Wasabi._

 ** _WeaverWorld dot com_**

 _Ricky's performance at a charity event in Seaford._

 _RW was in Seaford, CA, to support his friend's favorite charity, the local animal shelter. He did not perform any of his new songs and stuck to the older numbers. He also presented a check to the shelter matching total donations of the night. If you recall, this particular event came about, when his friend lost a pet dog that may have been a gift from RW himself. We are pleased to see that his concern and care for his friends extends into the charitable endeavors. Of course, this is no the first time he participated in charitable event. He's been known to visit his sick fans in hospital, and routinely donates his performances to various charitable events._

rw4ever: _it must be nice to be friends with him. Kim is so lucky._

weavermagic: _yeah, but, you know, that dog was killed by someone who hates her. you think it was bc of her connection to RW?_

rw4ever: _who'd do that? I mean, when I thought she was w/ him I may have been jealous, but to kill a dog over it? no!_

weavermagic: _still, you were jealous, others were jealous. You saw what people said here about her. it must be hard to get all this shit over friendship._

caitweaver: _i met her. she is sooo nice. and pretty. and normal._

weavermagic: _when? how?_

caitweaver: _well, i live in Seaford. i saw her in the animal shelter. she was there, working. she's real nice._

rw4ever: _did she say anything about RW?_

caitweaver: _well, just that she'd be talking to him soon. i, like, died when she said she'd pass my thank you to him._

weavermagic: _is it true about the bodyguard?_

caitweaver: _yep. he was right there next to her. but there were bunch of papps outside the shelter too, so I guess it makes sense._

* * *

Kim's Sunday morning started too early. Once again there was a ping of the fresh news with her name tagged and she simply refused to spoil her morning with any kind of news. After their epic end of the date (and Kim was still blushing and kind of turned on just thinking about it), Jack slipped out the same way he came in. She was asleep, when Jeremy called and was demanding to know if she was fine. She was not sure, what it was about until he mentioned that some dark figure was seen lurking around her house and that he, Jeremy was coming in to check on her. Mortified, she had to explain to a virtual stranger - and Ricky's employee no less - that she was fine, that the lurker was Jack, that there was no need to do the security check. Jeremy was silent for a full minute and Kim had just about expired from mortification and embarrassment. Finally, Jeremy told her that he would still do a perimeter check and informed her that two of Bobby's ninjas were taking the night post around her house and that she should plan her assignations accordingly. Kim dreaded seeing Jeremy today. She only hoped that his usual taciturn nature would prevent him from saying anything to her.

The news was actually nothing terrible. Just that Eric dude mentioning her date with Jack. She could have done without all the asides about trouble in paradise, but there were no pictures, and she figured he could not get close enough or into any of the places they'd been to.

She came downstairs to find her dad sitting at the island with a somber expression. Dreading that Jeremy talked to him about Jack's last night visit, Kim was completely unprepared for what came out of his mouth.

"Baby girl, I don't want to worry you, but police would be coming here to talk to you." She looked at him shocked and he added, "the lab results came in from the macaroons at the fundraiser. It was the same toxin as the one that made you sick. They think it is deliberate and it warrants their attention now."

Kim sat down hard and stared at the granite surface unseeing. How, how can anyone hate her so much? What could she possible have done to deserve it? She was a fan herself, for goodness sake, and she would never do anything like that because of a crush on an idol. She remembered the message from the poisoning, the one where someone wished she died along with her dad. Just as quickly came the memory of the message from yesterday - you got away this time - and she was suddenly sick to her stomach. She ran to the sink and threw up, though there was not much. Her dad, alarmed, came up to her and she cried into his chest horrified that she was the focus of someone's hate.

Her dad held her and soon her mom joined them.

It was not Kim's nature to be morose and she rallied enough to eat a little. Jeremy came in; he was already aware of the test results and had made arrangements for additional security measures. Kim, feeling unworthy of all this hassle, was told firmly that his clients - Ricky and Bobby - took her well being very seriously and deferred to his judgement on these matters. Apparently one of this new measures, a recommendation really, was for Kim to move temporarily to Bobby's place. It had a round the clock security and Bobby employed a personal chef, who was already cleared. So, if Kim's stalker stuck to their preferred method of poisoning, at least they could be sure that the food eaten at Bobby's place was not contaminated. Before any big decision could be made, police showed up and Kim was facing two gentlemen in the living room.

Detective Jones, a middle aged man with a receding hairline and shabby appearance, was leading the conversation.

"I'll be honest with you. This is an unusual case. We typically have some idea about the harasser or stalker. Usually a victim had previous interactions with them."

Kim bristled at the idea of being a victim and frowned at the man.

"I don't know who that may be to be honest. Everyone thinks it is related to my personal life and I just don't see it. Jack's and Ricky's fans are young people. Girls, boys. How one would even get their hands on the poison?"

"Our lab is working on that. But, going back to your personal life," Kim rolled her eyes at this and the Detective smiled at her. "Did you notice anything unusual since the knowledge of your relationships, real or perceived, became public?"

"Well, there are always negative comments. You know, the internet makes everything relatively consequence free, so people say things they normally would not say to people's faces. There were a couple that were vile, but they mostly sounded more about the guys I am with, than about me." Kim said to them. At Detective's questioning look, she elaborated.

"It is more like: he deserves better, he is so handsome, he is so talented, he is so amazing. He needs a girl, who is there for him, etc. etc. It is assumed and implied that I am not worthy of that position, but its not like they say: go and die already." She paused and then added, "there were two messages that were quite different though, but I am not sure if it means anything..."

Everyone perked up at this and Kim followed on, "Right after the poisoning, I was checking my social media and one person said that they hoped I never got help and died, together with my father." Her dad and the police looked bewildered and she elaborated, "I think they meant Bobby. Bobby Wasabi."

There was a long silence as everyone processed this information and the Detective was making notes. "Why would they think that Bobby Wasabi is your father?"

"Because tabloid press are desperate to sell or for clicks and are very loose with their definition of truth. They also don't research things. But to answer your question, Bobby was in the hospital, where I volunteer. I know him from the dojo and I held his hand while he was sick. Somehow one of those reporters was nearby and misinterpreted the whole thing and the next thing I know, I am his secret daughter. The denials worked a little, but every time they mention me and him, there is always a "rumored daughter of" added somewhere." Kim said bitterly and Detective Jones looked at her sympathetically.

"What about the second message?"

"It was after the fundraiser. Not everyone realized that Jack pulled the macaroons out of my hands, but it looked like he confronted me and there were pictures of that. I got a message that said: You got away this time."

"We would need to see those. Maybe trace them."

"Detective," Jeremy interjected. "It is probably not going to yield any leads. It is fairly easy to establish the accounts on social media and people can use any device - public or stolen - to create them. I believe that tracing the poison and the security camera footage from the school might help."

"Right. And you are the private security hired for Ms. Crawford?"

"Yes." Jeremy was stoic and Kim marveled at her own life now: poison, police, private security, famous dads and boyfriends. A tabloid heaven indeed.

* * *

Chuck was too afraid to let Kim out of his sights. She didn't mind, she was still grappling with the notion that someone wanted to hurt her. It wasn't just overactive imagination of her dad and boyfriend. It was real.

She called Jack, who wanted to come immediately, but she told him that she could not get any more secure with her dad and Jeremy. Once she told him that Jeremy knew about last night - and about ninjas on night watch - Jack stopped insisting. It would be good to have some time to herself: things moved non stop since that tournament in LA. She planned to finish her homework, read something that had nothing to do with her life, nothing that even reminded her of her life.

She managed part of her plan: her homework was done. Before she could settle for a nice read, her parents came up to discuss the next move: should she move to Bobby's place for a time being. Her dad was adamant that she should; her safety as he saw it depended on it. Her mom was too worried about letting her little girl out of sight and, like her, she thought how it might look to people on the outside. There were no perfect options here and Kim would rather stay home, but Jeremy was right about Bobby's place: it was more secure that her own home.


	25. Chapter 25

Jack was ... mad ... restless ... irritated ... ready to beat things and people up ... He was terrified.

When Kim, and then later her dad, told him about the test results, any hope he had that his suspicion and fear were just overreaction - ended. There was a certainty now that someone was out to hurt Kim. Someone was out to HURT KIM. And not just the kind of run-of-the-mill opponents they usually dealt with: the Black Dragons, occasional inept criminals, and pompous idiots. No, someone with the access to her. Someone with the knowledge of hows and wheres to acquire a poison (POISON!) to try to hurt her directly. And someone capable of physical cruelty to hurt an animal. Because Bobby was right, poison implied some willingness to put a distance between themselves and the consequences of their action. This act in particular was a clever one: it would shock and upset anyone, but Kim has been known for her love of animals... Jack dreaded what the next act by this person would be...

As much as he tried to avoid them, his thoughts went back to that moment in the gym, when Kim fainted and her breathing... the struggle to drag air... the paleness... the tubes that stuck out of her in the hospital... He could not stop himself even if tried... He needed to get this out of him... His worry and fear needed to be let out.

He was in the dojo, punishing himself with the workout that would normally get him winded, but now his feelings drove him onward like a relentless trainer. He only stopped when his hands and legs trembled and he could not even hold the bo staff steady. He stopped and slid down the wall onto the mats only now noticing that he had an audience - his friends and Rudy were in the dojo with him. Jerry looked slightly afraid, Rudy impressed, and Milton... Milton had the most damaging look on his face: it was pity and commiseration and understanding. The last one nearly broke him. He blinked a couple of times (even in his state he would not say that those were tears) and had to wait a minute before he could speak.

"What are you all doing here on Sunday?"

The all exchanged looks and then Milton said, "We heard about the lab results. We figured you'd be here." There was a moment of silence and then, "If you need anything from us, we are here."

Jack almost choked and ground out, "I don't know how to keep her safe! I don't know what they'll do next! OK, food we can try to control, but they might try something else entirely. We can't be just on the offensive. We need to find this guy and bring the fight to them."

The guys were silent again until Milton interjected again, "Jack, police and Jeremy are doing their part. We will be here to watch after her in the school and dojo. Bryn is working to figure out who is our messenger. We'll find them. You are not alone."

It may have been the exhaustion or the emotional turmoil, but it helped. Jack was a little calmer now.

Rudy perked up at the word about Bryn and messages. When Milton explained the situation with the hate messages that the three boys were getting, he insisted that his accounts be checked too.

Jack left them to it and went to check on Kim. He was so used to seeing her every day, that not seeing her for half of one made him miss her so much.

He was shocked to learn about Kim's new living arrangements. Shocked, but ultimately pleased. It made sense. Bobby's place was secure and at least the food intake would be controlled.

* * *

As Kim woke up on Monday morning she realized something exceptionally important. Though she and her mom had been very thorough in grabbing a great many things for her, she had not, in fact, brought any hygienic products. She usually was very regular, but this stressful situation must have triggered an early onset.

This was was a Problem. With a capital P. Ha, capital P. Here, she practically snorted at her own punny internal voice.

It's with tremendous grogginess that she dragged herself out of bed and fumbled through her purse. She was in luck and she had an emergency stash there, but she still needed that real stuff. She stumbled to the closet for clothes. Her mission, clearly, was supplies. And while she knew it was only a trip to the pharmacy and back, and that prior to her dubious fame she would have just thrown on her Seaford sweatshirt and some yoga pants before heading out, she was also aware that now she run the risk of ending up on the some internet website the second she stepped outside. So, she put forth more effort.

Being dressed nicely felt like armor in some ways, but it still didn't protect her. Not really. And while she might not like the new reality she was living in, she was also fully aware of what it meant. So, she was not about to go on a pharmacy run by herself. She knocked on Jeremy's door hesitantly. He opened almost immediately, dressed in a T-shirt and sweatpants.

"You look like a Hollywood starlet this early in the morning. Was there a change of plans?" Jeremy asked by way of greeting.

"I have an unexpected need to run to the pharmacy," Kim confessed perching absurdly oversized sunglasses atop her head. She hoped she did not have to elaborate any further.

"Yeah, I get it," Jeremy says. "Gimmie five and we'll head over to the nearest CVS so you can get your stuff, k?" He sounded unruffled by this and she was grateful.

"You're a saint," Kim breathed, which earned a raised eyebrow and disbelieving stare from Jeremy. "I'm just grateful is all."

"It's cool," Jeremy nodded, and she swore that he was smirking a little.

Jeremy was ready quickly, as promised, and the two headedout in search of the CVS. There were no media, but Jeremy was still alert. Kim was pretty sure that soon the media would be fully aware of where she was living these days.

The pharmacy was quiet and empty this early in the morning and Kim was grateful that no one was staring or taking pictures of her. She grabbed her supplies, adding some chocolates to the basket only for Jeremy to take them out. She was still pouting when they passed a newsstand on the way to the register, and Kim stopped dead in her tracks.

Her face was everywhere... In magazines... Not online... But actually on paper...

"Don't let it bother you," Jeremy advised, following Kim's gaze.

"Right. Sure. Any advice on how to achieve that?" Kim asked dryly. "And, oh my god, seriously?"

She grabbed the worst of the tabloids - the National Enquirer - and picked it up, showing the front page to Jeremy.

 _Ricky and Jack Showdown over Seaford Sweetheart - who's the baby daddy?_

There were photos. Grainy ones of her and Ricky in the music shop. At the fundraiser when she was whispering something to him. Her and Jack dancing. Her and Jack kissing. Jack and Ricky glaring at each other at the football game. Jack looming over her and taking those macaroons from her hands. There's also a shot of her in the corner in a little circle with an arrow pointed at her midsection. Kim made a mental note to watch her posture for like forever. Because, seriously, what?

"At least they called you a sweetheart?" Jeremy asked laughingly. "Come on, you know this is trash. Everyone knows this is trash."

"I just… ugh. Can we just get back, please?" Kim asked, tossing the rag back atop its pile of identical pieces of refuse masquerading as news.

They made it back without incident and find Jack already at Bobby's. He saw them and stood up looking concerned at their early trip outside.

"Hey, there you are," he said as she and Jeremy walked up.

"Do I look fat?" Kim asked with no preamble.

Jack froze. Because this question was a trap. Always. There was no right answer.

"What? No. Of course not," he said almost immediately, because hesitation on any response to this question was the worst idea ever.

"You'd tell me right?" Kim asked, glaring a little.

Jack couldn't quite figure out how this conversation has come about, but he was clearly uncomfortable with it.

"I can't lie to you," he responded. "You know that. What's this about?"

"Tabloids," Jeremy says, looking like she's relishing this conversation entirely too much.

"The National Enquirer thinks I'm pregnant either with your baby or Ricky's," Kim explained.

Jack's face goes from shock to disgust to jealousy in a blink of an eye and he finally ground out, "I… wasn't aware that media talked to Donna as their source of news," he said finally.

Kim was already checking her news alert and cursed out loud, "That rat! If I ever find out who that Eric guys is, I swear I would end him. You are gonna help me right?"

Jack nodded along and Jeremy looked alert. "What did this Eric do?"

"He is this reporter, I guess, more like a bottom-feeder, but he somehow hears or sees things that are sort of true about me and then spins and twists everything into this weird story. Like with Bobby. He was in the hospital and someone called me a Wasabi girl. Because I go to the Bobby Wasabi dojo. Then the article comes out where I am Kim Wasabi, the secret daughter of Bobby. Then, he heard about Ricky coming here couple of years ago and spun the story of the triangle. He also wrote abouy my exes and and now, somehow, he strung together the first poisoning, some vicious insults from my classmate, and that episode with macaroons at the fundraiser into a pregnancy story. Uhg, I hate this guy!" Kim was practically shouting by the end of her rant. "I never thought I'd say it, but I wish someone would have taken a picture of me this morning buying tampons," she finished and Jack stood there stunned and then blushed and looked away.

Jeremy took her phone from Kim and checked the artcile that seemed to have spawned others. He looked it through and then said, "we'll have to check this guy out. He seems to be focusing on Kim exclusively. He may not be our guy, but he is facilitating by giving so many details about your life." He left already dialing someone and Kim was once again reminded that she had bigger problems in her life than pregnancy rumors.

Jack, having overcome his discomfort over Kim's time of the month, came up to hug and kiss ber.

"Hey there, beautiful. Aside from the rumors and wanting to kill the guy, how are you? How was your first night at Bobby's?"

"Good. Weird. He is so accommodating, but also has no clue about house guests or, you know young girls. The food is good though and the bed is comfortable. And you? How are you?"

"Want to smash something. Want to throttle gossip mongers. Want to go back in time and never go to that tournament. Want to hide with you somewhere."

"Of all that I can only promise that we will spend time together. Although, I need to go change into something tight, so people don't believe the rumor."

"Just how tight are we talking about?"

* * *

Kim was prepared for the whispering and ogling, so she took it all in stride. Jeremy and Jack followed her at school and no one was daring to approach her. At cheer practice, when Donna tried to sneer at her, Kim, still very mad at everything, got into Donna's face and hissed, "if I find out that you blabbed your big mouth to that reporter, I'll sue you both for libel. You didn't even think, you stupid bitch, that saying that either Jack or Ricky got me pregnant, can get them in trouble? I am underage, and Ricky is over 18. Have you though of that, Donna? You cross me and I'll send Ricky's lawyers your way. You say anything to me or about me, and I will sort out myself. Got it?"

Later, at the dojo, Kim got a message from Grace to check the Facebook. Weary she looked at it and burst out laughing. There on the cheer squad and school's Facebook pages were pictures from the practice. Kim as front and center and it was obvious that her stomach was as flat as always. She added the picture to her Twitter and Instagram with a caption: "Hard at work. New cheer routine is tough!"

She had a lot more nasty comments since the latest article. Some simply called her a whore, and others elaborated on her conniving ways, but she shrugged it off. No one wished she died, so it was good.

Later, she got a Google alert and when she checked it, she quietly thanked God: there was a TMZ blurb about her pharmacy run with the tampon box prominently displayed. The blrub had a picture from the practice as well. The tagline was "the rumors of teen pregnancy must be untrue."

She finally got to Bobby's and found her parents there. Their faces were serious and her mom clearly had cried. Defective Jones was there too. She and Jack came in and she almost took a step back. She was grateful for Jack's hand on hers.

"What happened?" She managed.

"Kim, baby, someone left the note on our doorstep," her mom said. After swallowing hard, she continued, "it said that we can't hide you. That they know that your dad has you."

Kim sat down and looked at them all again, "they mean Bobby? So they know I am here? They just can't get in here. So, Jeremy was right, I should stay here. What about you guys? Would you be safe?"

Defective Jones answered her, "you are right about most of it, Ms. Crawford. We believe that you parents are fine. This person is focused on you. We are working on the note. Hopefully, it would lead to something. In the meantime, we will post uniforms on the street around your home and here. Between police and your private security you should be safe. I, of course, urge you to be cautious. I would also recommend to cut down the amount of time you are out in the unsecured places. Your school is a necessity and the dojo is fine, but the hospital, shelter and that place you take vocal lessons are not very secure and you should consider dropping those activities for a while."

Jeremy, Jack and her parents were all nodding along and she felt the beginning of the infamous Kim temper explosion swirl inside her. They could not possibly ask her to change her life, to hide? Before she could explode on them, she got the call. It was the studio. Like on an autopilot she answered. "Ms. Crawford? We want you to come for an additional audition. When is a good time?"

She hung up, promising to call back, and looked at the roomful of people and asked, "what about travel? I need to go to LA. Soon..."

Jack and her mom had hopeful expressions on their faces. "It's the studio?" "A call back?" They said almost simultaneously.

The defective was silent, thinking, and Jeremy fairly jumped in, "this could be good. LA is big. You with security won't stand out. If we keep it quiet, you stalker would be looking for you here, in Seaford. You'd be out of school and we need to have a decent cover for your absence..."

"I can help here," Bobby told them dramatically. "We know that Kim is being photographed a lot. We need to have an outing with Kim, myself, and her parents. It should be public enough, without being too obvious. There, we can stage a little tiff with me demanding that Kim attend a private school or have private tutors. It would play into this idea that she is my daughter. Then, when you are not at school, people would think I won the argument. The only drawback is that it will all but cement the rumor about me being your dad. What do you think?"

They sat silent for a while, processing the idea. Kim could see that most of them were coming around. Her mom looked very pensive and Kim knew that along with the rumor about her parentage, her mom's reputation would be all but ruined as well. She was about to say something, when her mother said, "Booby, you'll have to build up to it. You like that Twitter. Start small with some nonsense about good schools, better education, better future. Then the meeting with us and the tiff would look more believable in context."

"Mom... We don't have..."

"Yes we do, honey. I want you safe. Don't argue with me on this." Her mom's tone and the southern accent were strong and Kim knew this was the end of the conversation.

The detective looked between all the parties and nodded his acquiescence. "This should work. Even force the hand of the perp. He might try to break in here. Mr. Brewer, you would have to stay here. Otherwise, if you are gone from school, the story would be less believable."

So, it was settled. Bobby began the Twitter stage of the plan and she called back the studio to let them know that she was coming.


	26. Chapter 26

The Great Bobby Wasabi at bobbywasabi: _at nytimes article states public schools fail their students. want bright future for your kid? private school or private tutors._

The Great Bobby Wasabi at bobbywasabi: _brightest mind won't flourish without proper education. what's the point of success if not to better your family's future?_

The Great Bobby Wasabi at bobbywasabi: _if you have a talented, smart, child it is your duty to do the best by them._

blackbeltkimc at blackbeltkimc: _check out this library! it's old school, but I never saw so many books in a private house. must be nice... [picture link]_

gingergenius at blackbeltkimc: _you're right to be impressed. Bobby's library is one of the largest in the county._

swagmasteryo at blackbetlkimc, at gingergenius: _Milton, is nerdiness contagious?_

jackbrewer at swagmasteryo, at balckbeltkimc, at gingergenius: _smart girls are sexy._

* * *

Kim and Jack were enjoying the week that they had before she had to go to LA. The story about the pregnancy did not really take root and most people stopped mentioning it. Kim was enjoying the relative bubble that was her friendships created. People who knew her and Jack did not question her loyalty, or his affection, and it was enough for her.

They were at the dojo, when Caitlyn came in. She was shy and Jack looked at her wearily ,because she stared unabashedly at him and Kim. Rudy was polite and enthusiastic and soon Caitlyn came out of her shell. She had no prior experience in martial arts, and Rudy had agreed to take her in with the class of newbies that trained at another time slot. She was disappointed at first that she won't be with Kim, but when she saw their sparring she understood. Jeremy was on alert when she came in and it was another thing that made her uncomfortable. She finally approached Kim with a flash drive that she said had her music. Kim almost forgot of her promise to listen to it ad to give it to Ricky. Caitlyn was leaving, lingering at the doors with Rudy, and the Wasabi gang had their own discussion.

"Bryn said she isolated the geographical areas for the first messages and it seems that the person traveled from the Central Coast of California, the San Luis Obispo County, to be specific," Milton told them.

"So someone from that place six months ago started with the messages and traveled here?"

"Yes. The question is: who do we know from San Luis Obispo County?" Milton looked askance at everyone.

"Dude, I did not even know there is such a county in Cali," Jerry quickly said.

"And there is no match between our guy to the one harassing Kim?" Jeremy was asking, yet keeping his eyes on Caitlyn.

"Well, like I said the results are inconsistent. We have only three statements from Kim's stalker and it is not large enough pool for me to run my algorithm on."

"So, we still have two separate guys. All right, let's think of who we could have pissed off that wound up in the County?"

"You'll have to do it without me. I need to go pack for LA and spend some time with my parents. They don't see me as much now that I live with Bobby and they sort of miss me." Kim said apologetically.

"Oh, that's right. When are you leaving?" Milton asked.

"Sunday afternoon. Bye, guys. Jack, I'll see you later..."

Kim left with Jeremy and the Wasabi boys went back to figuring out, who they pissed off. It was surprisingly a long list of people.

* * *

 _ **WeaverWorld dot com**_

rw4ever: _**Fever** is in top 5 now, I bet it would go to no. 1 soon. i can't wait for the whole album._

weavermagic: _i still think he should release **In My Dreams** too. it's so beautiful... i wish there were videos out._

rw4ever: _you think Kim would be in the video? like Zayn and Gigi..._

weavermagic: _I think Jack would object. besides, there are not together. haven't been spotted since the fundraiser._

caitweaver: _well, she is going to LA this Sunday. Alone. mb she'd see RW there._

* * *

Sunday brunch was over and Kim and Jack were at Bobby's saying their goodbyes. Kim's parents were next door and with Jeremy right outside, she could not quite get the kind of good bye she wanted.

Kim held Jack's hands and whispered, "I'll miss you."

He quickly kissed her forehead, "Ill miss you too. Stay close to Jeremy and don't eat anything unless it is in the sealed container."

Kim pouted. "And you should actually try and do your homework. And not just copy Milton's." Jack shot her a look but she just gave him an unsympathetic shrug, "Sorry, even heroic karate wunderkinds need to do their homework."

"I don't want you to go without me," the grumble he emitted let her know he wasn't thrilled with the plan but it was too late to change anything.

She turned in his arms so she was facing him, head tilted back so she could meet his eyes. "It's going to be okay,"

"Promise me," he said suddenly and with such force it almost took her breath away,

"Jack…"

"Kim," he countered in the same tone and she wanted nothing more than to be able to ease his burdens. She brushed her fingers over his temples and into his hair, able to feel the fine tremor of emotion that rolled through him.

She answered him by pushing up on her toes and pressing her lips to his.

The kiss was slow and unhurried, but more intense than any kiss they'd shared before. She could feel it in her toes as his lips moved over hers, like he thought it might be his last chance to kiss her.

When they finally separated tears pricked her eyes and she slid down his chest until she could lay her head over his heart. She rose and fell as he let out a great exhale, his arms banding about her until she almost couldn't breathe from how tight he held her.

Reluctantly she pushed back, and then made herself exit his embrace. "It's only for a little while," she said almost hoarsely, and the look he gave her made her stomach flip, "I'll see you later."

Before she could either break down in tears, or run back and jump him until they did inappropriate things with her dad next door, she forced herself to turn and walk out.

Jeremy was still stationed outside the door and he fell into step behind her as she headed for the back door.

* * *

Bobby's plan went off without a hitch. Between the social media hints for almost a whole week and the promised Sunday brunch, where Kim's parents and Bobby had a pretend tense conversation about the quality of the public education in Seaford, the scene was set. Eric, the eagle eyed, snapped pictures, talked to waiters and got the story out.

 ** _GossipGirls dot com_**

 _There might be a custody issue brewing. It appears that Bobby Wasabi finally decided to stop pretending he is not Kim Crawford's father. He was seen together with her (not unusual) and her parents for the first time! The conversation between the adults was tense, as the witnesses reported. Bobby was overheard insisting that Kim deserved the best options and such options included private education and tutors. Kim's parents maintained that the Seaford High was a very good school and that they wanted Kim to have as normal life as possible. Of course, with Kim's name being linked to some of the more popular people in the industry, how normal is her life anyway? It has been well publicized that she received an unpleasant surprise involving a beloved pet on the school grounds at Seaford High. Perhaps Bobby realized that now that anonymity that Kim enjoyed before her romances with Ricky Weaver and Jack Brewer is gone, normal life is not possible. It would explain the sudden increase in Kim's security detail.  
_

 _It is not clear whether parties resolved their disagreement, but one thing is obvious: Bobby is very involved in Kim's life and now is asserting his wishes for her future._

 _He was later seen leaving his namesake dojo with Jack Brewer. The two martial artists had by all appearances a serious conversation and left together in Bobby's car. We can assume that while Bobby might be taking Kim out of the school, he still very much supports Kim's relationship with his protege._

 _Comments:_

 _catmandu: are these her adoptive parents? did Bobby have a fling with Kim's mom? I don't get it_

 _mrsnorfolk: its probably the latter. Bobby is her bio dad, but Mr. Crawford is the one who raised her..._

 _catmandu: yeah, but Bobby lived there all this time. do you think she always knew he is her dad?_

 _mrsnorfolk: biodad. that's probably the first time he is interested in her anyway, bc of the guys she's dating. that has-been would latch to anything if it means the return to limelight._

 _starsandsorrow: who cares? these leaches don't deserve our attention. that girl may have been raised normal, but she sure ain't doing anything normal now. star boyfriends, security, all the attention, now even a pregnancy rumor. they are all good for nothing..._

* * *

In LA Kim and her entourage, which grew with an addition of another bodyguard named Michael, who mostly took over driving, did not attract any attention. They decided that she would not be seeing Ricky, because it was much harder to accomplish without being caught. She was staying at a hotel under a made up name of Snow Jones (Jack came up with the name and it stuck).

When she arrived at studio, she was surprised to see more than just the casting director. Show's producers, director, and writers were on hand and Kim was a little taken aback. They even had their martial arts advisor and fights coordinator present. That guy was the easiest to talk to. He knew Rudy and, of course, knew Bobby. They quickly went over the styles she knew and what her strength were. She was asked to perform a few routines and even a small sparring match. She could tell that she passed whatever test he had for her and soon he left.

It was now the time for the acting audition. She was given a script for a scene, where a girl, Jo (short for Josephine) was talking to the main character and had to deliver a small speech. The premise was that she was a girl with tough background and tough exterior, but not bitter or angry. She focused on her lines and then one of the writers began, "Just say it, Jo."

"Say what?" Kim, as Jo, delivered wide-eyed with faux innocence.

"Whatever it is you're dying to get off your chest. Just get it over with."

"Fine, but for the record, I'd rather have a root canal than this conversation." Here Jo's smile slowly faded as she looked thoughtful, choosing her words carefully.

"You are putting her and yourself in danger by being her friend," softly spoken, but eyes were hard.

"What? Friends? No, just two people attending the same dojo."

Jo's laugh was sharp and loud at that.

"Oh god, do you really think that? Caleb, that's… precious," Jo responded with far too much amusement.

"What are you talking about?"

"You spar with her a lot. Almost exclusively," Jo pointed out. "You actually talk to her. I don't think you even realize you're doing it, but you do. You even smile sometimes."

"I do not-"

"You _do_. And you _linger_ ," Jo said with great gravity and something else. "I _get it._ She's probably the first sweet, trusting, guileless person you've met. That kind of thing pulls people like you in. You live in the gray, like me. We can't afford the luxuries of honesty and goodness. Not like she can. And seeing there are still people like that? Like her? You can't help but be drawn to that. You can't help but try to remember when you were like that, wonder if you were _ever_ like that, because if you were it was so long ago that it's faded from your memory. I _get it_. But you can't single her out with your attentions because you're going to get her hurt." Kim tried to deliver it as heartfelt as it was meant, but also with a bit of warning and maybe wistfulness. In her mind, Caleb (Jack's character) was falling for Lena, a new friend from the dojo, whereas Jo was one his older friends, who may have wanted the same way out as Caleb.

The scene was over and Kim was having a little moment of disconnect, because she stayed in the moment and expected a response. Then, her brain caught on that the performance was over and she could feel a little shaking in her hands as the adrenaline was letting down.

The room was silent and dread was filling her insides the longer it went. Finally, the director blinked, looked away and said, "We'll be in touch about the results."

Kim knew the dismissal when she heard it and she quickly left the room.

There was not need to stay in LA any longer and, after a brief conversation with her dad, she decided to go home.

* * *

"We're ready when you are."

Kim walked with Jeremy towards the other bodyguard, who was standing by the car when they stepped out under the portico. "Good morning, Kim, Jeremy," he said, opening the back door for them.

"Good morning, Michael," Jeremy greeted warmly and entered first, sliding across the cool leather easily.

Soon enough they were heading into mid-day traffic as she pulled out her tablet planning to spend the next several hours catching up.

It took them longer than expected to get out of the city, and some point Michael snapped his eyes to Jeremy through the rear view mirror. Some sort of conversation went on and Jeremy turned his head this way and that and cursed quietly, "Damn it, how?"

"What? What is going on?" Kim looked behind, but there were just cars.

"We are being followed," Jeremy told her. Kim's eyes widened and she was rightfully afraid. "It's probably a reporter. Somehow they know you are here. We'll try to lose them."

"You think its a random paparazzo? Or do you think its Eric Stormer?" Kim was asking questions as she pulled up her tablet to check the google alerts on her. There haven't been any mentions on her since Sunday, when Eric wrote that thing about custody dispute. She fervently hoped it was a random reporter.

"Can't tell, but won't stop to find out. Michael, try and lose him."

They zigged and zagged and Michael taken some sharp turns and back alleys, and somehow they managed to lose the tail. Or at least, Kim thought they did, because both Jeremy and Michael relaxed and so did she.

They were out of the city and the roads were open and mostly empty. They'd been in the car an hour when Michael pulled off onto exit for a pit stop.

"It's nice out here." she said absently, staring out the window at the scenery and enjoying the view of the hills covered in vineyards.

The moment was short lived as they rounded a corner and were suddenly thrown forward and to the left as Michael let out a strangled curse and tried to avoid a collision with a car that suddenly burst from the side.

Jeremy's arm came out to press her into the seat, as a stab of fear shot through her.

"Hold on!" Michael yelled before there was huge roar of noise from outside the car, followed by the surreal sight of the front end of the vehicle rising up in front of them before they began tumbling down the hillside.

She screamed as they began to flip, the seat belt cutting into her sharply. Jeremy called her name and tried to reach for her but the violent rolling kept him on the other side of the seat from her. She let out a cry of pain as her head slammed sharply into the window, the front airbags already deploying. Everything was spinning so quickly she couldn't make out what was up and what was down and then her head hit the window again and her vision dimmed to almost nothing.

She could have been unconscious for seconds or minutes or even longer. Through half slit eyes she could tell they were almost upside down, her arms thrown over her head, hair obscuring her vision, as the seat belt held her in place. There were no other sounds and no movement from the men around her. A whine of panic filled her throbbing head as she tried to turn and look towards Jeremy, but when she did a burst of pain flared across her skull and she saw nothing but black.

Faint noises drew her from the dark but she couldn't get her eyes to open. She heard what sounded like a struggle. Harsh words, and grunts of pain. She could recognize one as Jeremy's.

There was a loud, sharp sound that made her ears ring and her head pound even harder, and then deadly silence. With great effort she forced herself to open her eyes. What she saw made no sense.

"You?"


	27. Chapter 27

Eric Stormer was content with his life. OK, that was not true. He was happy, excited and very much satisfied. His editors were happy and satisfied too. Coming to Seaford was the best decision ever. Following Kim Crawford was even better. The girl was like a gold mine of stories. He would admit that at first he may have fudged the facts a little to create a catchy headline. He only heard one guy at the pizza joint talking about the other guy dating Kim briefly. But once Eric knew the boy's name and that fact that he played football, the story was too easy to make. All Eric did was follow some fan discussions, Seaford High's Facebook and then stalk the students' social media pages to find out that Kim had in fact dated one guy on the football team, albeit briefly... And then he found a treasure trove of the information and gossip. One Donna Tobin did not like Kim Crawford and had plenty to say about the latter. His editors liked the spin of the social climbing girl and the story was printed.

Then the fundraiser happened and Eric's coverage was truthful if leaning slightly towards salaciousness. He was even able to sell the live footage to the TV media outlets, because it had Ricky Weaver in it. He saw the interaction between Kim and Jack over the plate of pastries and could not figure out the reason for such a peculiar behavior. He saw, of course, that Kim and Jack were together and Ricky was merely a friend but that did not sell, so it was spun as the possible confrontation between a jealous boyfriend and a pretty girl.

Eric did not feel any remorse over this. In his mind he had a job and Kim Crawford, connected as she was to the rich and famous, basically should have expected it.

He did follow up on the pastry incident. All he had to do was find the girl who was working that particular station and see what she had to say. The girl was as perplexed as he was, because according to her Jack did not want Kim to eat the macaroons. Something about poisoning. Now, Eric knew already that Kim had food poisoning earlier and that it required a hospital stay. Was she allergic? And Jack was being protective? It made the most sense, but was also quite boring. Once again, Donna Tobin and her hatred of all things Kim Crawford was helpful. Although it was not in any way confirmed by anything or anyone, Eric felt that teen pregnancy was such a good story that it got published anyway. It was a day later, after most tabloids reprinted his story, that the in-house legal counsel came down on him and his editors shouting about liability, libel, defamation and costly litigation. It seemed that their lawyers were anticipating a lawsuit from Ricky Weaver, because Eric's article essentially implied that he was sexually active with an underage girl. In an effort to clean up, the editors pulled off the story from their website and tried to delete all the links to it. Eric was reprimanded, but the damage was done. He was told to return, but his guts were telling him to stay on and he prevailed.

At first, he thought that his gut feeling was wrong, but then Bobby threw him a good story. Custody battle was not quite as exciting as the love triangle, but there was plenty of drama, to say nothing about the fact that Bobby essentially admitted he was Kim's father. Eric felt validated. He was the one to break that particular story and despite all the official denials, here it was: Bobby's asserting parental rights over Kim!

Then came an even better morsel of news: according to one Ricky fan, Kim was going to LA to see him. Without Jack or Bobby. Oh, this was going to be good.

In the end the visit was not what he hoped for. It seemed that Kim was in town for auditions and that was a good story; though not as good as secret rendezvous with a mega-star. He was following Kim and her bodyguards out of the city, still hoping for the juicy detail, when he was spotted and they tried to evade him. Eric, having lost them, stubbornly followed on the most predictable route to Seaford, when he came upon a car wreck...

It was the car that Kim was driven in - one of Bobby's cars.

Eric, heart hammering in this chest in fear and anticipation, jumped out of the car and approached the wreck. What he saw was shocking and devastating. The car was at the odd angle, not quite upside down, and jammed against the slope of the hill. The driver was pinned under the caved in door and Eric could not tell if he was breathing. Kim's bodyguard was out of the car, bloody and unconscious. Eric knew where Kim was supposed to have be sitting and went to check only to find bloody prints on the window where she should have been and the door ajar.

He heard a noise behind him and turned to find the bodyguard trying to move and moaning in pain. He ran to the guy and helped him up. Only now he saw that the guy had a wound where shoulder connected to the chest, high enough to miss the heart. His own heart hammering fast and hands shaking, Eric tried to apply pressure on the wound, vaguely recalling something like that from numerous movies and TV shows. The bodyguard jerked away from the pressure and the pain must have woken him up, because he opened his eyes, looked straight at Eric and slurred, "I lost her. I lost her."

* * *

Jack hadn't realized just how much he would miss Kim these past days. He missed her at school and at the dojo, he missed the closeness they had when they were together. He missed talking to her about everything. They talked of course, but it was different on the phone. He also missed kissing her, touching her... His dreams were restless. She was in them, of course she was, but she was out of reach and he was chasing after her in them. He couldn't wait for her to come back. The last conversation they had was after her audition. She was breathless and excited, but also uncertain and doubtful. She was sure she did a good job, but was not sure about everyone's opinion on her performance.

She texted him when she was leaving LA and Jack only had to wait a few more hours before he got to see her again. He would admit to being totally in love with Kim, when even few days of separation nearly rendered him incapable of functioning.

He was at the dojo, pounding away at the dummies, since Kim wasn't there to spar with him and guys were not exactly a challenge, even if he fought two of them together. He was ready to start his bo staff practice, when his cell phone rang with Bobby's ring tone. It was distraction that Jack needed so he answered.

"Yes?"

"Jack, my boy, you have to come to my place immediately. Detective Jones called me and said that we should all gather because he has some news. I hope they have something from that note. Come quick."

This was a good news. Jack was excited and drove to Bobby's quickly. He got there and found that Kim's parents already present.

He chatted with Kim's mom, who also got the call from Kim about the audition. They were comparing notes about Kim and her chances at getting the role, when the defective came in. He had an unreadable expression on his face and it made something in Jack ttenseand coil.

Defective Jones cleared his throat and began.

"I am afraid I have some bad news. Earlier today the car that Kim was travelling with her security detail was found on the side of the highway exit. It seems that it collided with something and flipped several times down the hill."

 _No... No... No..._

He was interrupted by a sharp scream from Kim's mother, who clutched her chest and was blinking away tears. "How is Kim?" she croaked out.

"We don't know."

"What? I don't understand. What do you mean?" Kim's dad was standing and staring the detective down.

"Only two people were found at the car wreck: her bodyguard and the driver."

 _No... No... No... Kim... Not her..._

"Jeremy? What did he say? Where is Kim?" Bobby was already dialing someone.

"He is in surgery right now. He was unconscious, so he could not be questioned."

"And the driver?" Bobby again.

"Severe blood loss. Also unconscious."

"No... No... No..."

"I am sorry Mr. Brewer... I know you are close..."

"Where is she? Where could she be?" Jack's voice with hoarse and the panic in it was evident to all.

"There was blood where Kim should have been seated. She was buckled in, we assume. But..." The detective was silent and Jack, who was already standing took steps closer to him. He stopped when Chuck put a hand on his shoulder.

"But Jeremy had a gunshot wound and his gun was used as well..."

No... No... No... NO!

He must have screamed the last part out, because Chuck's hand in his shoulder became and vise grip and the detective looked at them apologetically. He rubbed his hand over his tired face.

"Kim's gone."

Jack was certain his heart had stopped beating. There was dead silence and he didn't move a muscle. He could not. He could not breath. It's like the air itself was gone and his lungs refused to do what they were supposed to. The pain that flared through his chest was slow and thorough. His chest, hollow now, and useless lungs were making him light headed, but it didn't matter. Kim ... was ... _nooooo._

His knees buckled and unable to stand he sank back onto the couch.

A loud crying finally permeated his hearing and it was Kim's mom, sobbing and clutching his hand.

"I am sorry. At this point our working theory is that Kim was taken, kidnapped."

"She's not..." his mouth refused to say the words, but the detective understood.

"We believe that the collision was intentional. There is a chance that there will be some demands. However, Kim is probably hurt. From the collision..." His tone implied that her kidnapper may or may not be adding to that right now and Jack's fists clenched tight. "The F.B.I is involved, and they've been looking for her."

Jack tuned him out, clutching the edge of the couch as he tried to control his ragged breath and calm his racing heart. She was alive.

Her mom was still holding his hand and he squeezed it. Once be was able to draw a full breath, he turned to the detective.

"I need to see Jeremy. Which hospital are they in?"

"Jack, your parents..."

"Will understand. Besides, I am emancipated."

At everyone's curious looks, be added, "child labor laws and such. It was for the movie."

"We are trying to keep it quiet for now. FBI does not want to make them move too soon. We were able to convince the reporter to keep hush as well."

"What reporter?" Chuck's tone was heavy.

"Eric Stormer. He was the one to call in the 911. He happened upon the scene. According to him, the bodyguard came to briefly to say that he lost her."

"He didn't just happen on the scene." Jack's voice was like gravel. "Eric Stormer practically stalked Kim for his stories. How did he know that she was in LA?"

"Why does it matter?" Chuck was looking at Jack with a strange mix of hope and exasperation.

"Because, her stalker, the one who left those messages and tried to poison her, should have believed that she was here. Yet, she was taken when only few people knew she'd be out of Seaford. We need to know how Eric knew this, so we can figure out how the stalker knew it."

Jack had a goal, a plan, a course of actions. He needed to bring her back.


	28. Chapter 28

Over the course of last month, Jack got used to Bobby's mansion. It stopped being impressive and became just the place where Bobby, and now Kim, lived. And the large, and imposing, and downright weird place felt warm to him.

But just now, after the news of the accident and kidnapping, the foyer felt oppressive and cavernous at the same time. The floor was shaky beneath his feet and there was an almost damp chill in the space he'd never experienced before.

He stayed in the foyer, unable to go up the stairs. There, on the second floor was Kim's temporary bedroom. There were her clothes in the closet. There was the place he last kissed her... He remembered her teary promise that it would only be a little while and that she'd see him soon and he had to forcibly stop him himself from voicing the pain that the memory brought. He bit his cheek until the metallic taste brought him out of his anguish. _She's alive..._

He found himself paused in the doorway to the study. This really was a situation room now. This was where they stationed themselves: Chuck, Bobby, Jack, anyone who cared about Kim. The FBI came over to discuss the steps they were taking. According to them, the first 48 hours were crucial. They expected the phone call with some sort of demands soon and both Chuck and Bobby were asked to stay put and were prepped on how to handle such a call. At this point, chances were that it could have been a kidnapping for ransom, considering Bobby's fortune and the alleged relationship to Kim. Ricky was contacted as well. Jeremy and Michael were in the joint employ of him and Bobby. It is was plausible, though not likely, that the ransom call would come to him as well.

The entire clusterfuck of all these assumed relationships that could have been the cause for kidnapping made Jack hate the media even more.

Of course, what was not said, but was ever present, was the fear that the kidnapping was not for ransom, but some personally motivated act of aggression directed at Kim. Jack had the worst feeling that it was the latter and the guilt he felt was as crushing as the fear for Kim was.

He was not asked to stay in Seaford. He would not have stayed even if they did. His conversation with his parents was at once the hardest and easiest he had. They understood, just as he predicted they would. But that understanding was laced with such heartache for him and Kim that he had to cut it short, lest he smashed something or worse - cried.

He and Detective Jones traveled to the hospital where Jeremy and Michael were taken from the accident site. The quiet man in rumpled clothes was silent and Jack was grateful. They drove like this for a while until Detective Jones got the call. His responses were monosyllabic and Jack could not tell if it was a relevant call or not.

"It's the FBI," Detective said after he hung up.

"Are there any leads? Any idea where he's taken her?" now that he'd known about the 48 hours, Jack knew they had to find her as soon as possible.

"They have been keeping me in the loop as much as they can. They're going to want to talk to you. And they've consulted some profiler from the headquarters to try and figure out kidnapper's next move. But there doesn't seem to be any trace of them."

Jack's head dropped and his hands tightened on his phone until he heard a creaking noise of his plastic case giving. _She had to be okay_.

A heavy hand dropped to his forearm and patted once, "We're going to find her."

"I… she... has to be OK," he was not sure he could have stopped the words from spilling even he tried, but the memory of thinking she was dead still resonated within him painfully.

"And she is, kid." Jack did not mind the moniker. He wanted reassurance, even from a relative stranger.

Jack concentrated on their next steps, all his thoughts focused on what they could do to find her. He couldn't let himself begin to imagine what was happening to her.

* * *

Hospital visit was sobering and frustrating. Jeremy was out of surgery and was expected to make a full recovery. The bullet was a clean shot through. He had some blood loss, concussion and broken ribs, which explained why he was unconscious after the accident and the confrontation. Michael had broken ribs as well, in addition to a broken leg and collapsed lung. They run into Sledge at the hospital and his gruff demeanor was slightly softened because his men were down and because, unknowingly to Jack, he was radiating pain, panic and worry so clearly, even total strangers could see it.

Jeremy was awake and his apologetic face directed at Jack nearly undid all of Jack's resolve. He apologized for losing Kim and Jack had to stop a few times before he could say that it was hardly Jeremy's fault. Thankfully, Sledge took over the questioning. Frustratingly, Jeremy could only say that the attacker was most likely a woman or a short man, because they were wearing a sky mask. There was a bit of good news: Jeremy managed to shoot the attacker and the bullet hit them in the right shoulder. Jack could not blame Jeremy: he was concussed from being thrown around in the car, when he had to take on an attacker. He was confident that Kim was alive. He only saw her hit her head twice on the window, so they hoped that that was the extent of her injuries at the moment.

They had similarly frustrating conversation with Eric, who was still shocked by what he saw and intimidated by Sledge. Eric told them that he followed some fan chatter on Weaver fansite to find out about Kim's travel plans. Jack had a suspicion as to who it was and how they came about this information. Unless, Caitlyn was connected to the kidnapper, it probably was a dead end.

Hope that flared when he arrived at the hospital was dwindling fast. Their hopes were pinned on FBI and a ransom call.

They were traveling back to Seaford, and Jack's exhausted body fell into an uneasy sleep.

He awoke couple hours later to the sound of Kim screaming his name. He'd jerked up as if to run towards her only for the seat belt to hold him back, chest heaving when he heard the echo in his mind and knew he'd been dreaming. His body felt loose and weak as he sank back into the seat and let his head rest in his hands while he tried to calm his racing heart.

It hadn't been real. She wasn't there. She wasn't calling for him.

The thought struck him that maybe she was calling for him and he couldn't hear her. Did she think he'd abandoned her? Did she think he'd give up? Did she know that he'd do anything to find her and bring her home?

He shook his head forcefully as if he could physically remove the thoughts, or attempt to make them vanish before they could get any worse and he began to imagine what could be happening to her.

There was nothing else to do, but to wait.

* * *

The next 36 hours were nothing but the slow torture. The longer it went without the call, the smaller was everyone's hope to get Kim home soon. Kim's mother was such a wreck, alternating between cleaning the house - and stopping every now and then when she found something of Kim's and she would sob - and constantly checking everyone's phone to make sure they were charged and available for calls. Chuck was forced to comfort his wife when she was crying and tempering her when she was after everyone's phones. Bobby has made several arrangements with his lawyers to make sure that a relatively large amount of money was easily available. Before Chuck could protest, Bobby delivered the most selfless speech Jack ever heard from a man. Bobby felt tremendous guilt over the initial deception about being Kim's dad, and the later manipulation of the story to make it all but confirmed that he was.

As the 48 hour mark was approaching, Jack could not stand to be in the mansion anymore. He did not think he could sleep (he was afraid the dreams would be nightmares as they recently have been). It was claustrophobic and oppressive and he went to where he usually went when he was under an emotional strain.

Milton and Jerry found him at the dojo a little past daybreak, bringing cups of coffee with them. Their tired eyes let Jack know they hadn't gotten much rest either.

The endless sets of reps had allowed his mind to go blank which is exactly what was necessary. When he was concentrating on his form, or counting which pull up he was on he didn't have to wonder where she was or if she was scared or hurt.

Jack finished up another set and dropped to the ground with a grunt, grabbing a towel to wipe over his damp face before he acknowledged the guys with a tilt of his chin as he took the coffee.

"Did you get any sleep?" Milton asked carefully, even though Jack was certain he already knew the answer. Jack simply shook his head.

Jerry let out a long exhale but didn't say anything, just nodded tightly.

"Anything new?" Jack asked Milton.

"The FBI is still running the messages on Kim's social media hoping to flesh out the profile of the kidnapper..."

Jack was silent as he let himself fall back against the wall, head tipping up to study the ceiling before he looked back down at his watch. "It's almost been forty-eight hours." Jerry and Milton exchange glances but Jack ignored them and kept talking, "I should have stayed at the mansion... shouldn't have been here. The agent said-"

"You can't think like that, dude." Jerry said quickly, cutting him off.

"Forty-eight hours. They said the chances of finding her alive after forty-eight hours are low. There are no leads. No trail. Nothing!" his fists clenched and pounded backwards but he didn't feel a thing, "How is this even possible? How come FBI can't find anything to go on?!"

The hot sting behind his eyes and the way his throat thickened let him know he was too close to the edge. Without looking back he shoved off the wall and left the mats to go to the locker rooms, not sure if guys were going to follow him or not.

His head was full of horrible images, things he couldn't unsee, and as he moved through the hallway almost unaware where he was. He stopped when he passed the girl's locker room and the memory of the conversation they had long ago crashed over him like a tidal wave.

He stopped frozen and guys almost stumbled into him. He turned to them, wild eyed and hissed, "It's my fault. I should have stayed away from her. I knew it would happen. Too much attention, too much hate. But, Kim... she is undeniable. And so bright and beautiful, who can deny her anything? Who could blame Ricky for wanting to be with her? Who can fault Bobby for wanting to be her dad even if its only pretend? But we are so selfish, aren't we? It was all about us, and now, now she out there alone and scared, and we are here, safe and sound... It's our fault. It's _my_ fault..."

Jack trailed off, staring into the distance, and Jerry was downright terrified. He had never seen his friend like this: mad, scared, hopeless... He turned to Milton seeking some clue as to how help their distraught friend, but Milton had a very peculiar look in his eyes.

"Dad... dad... and boyfriend... and poisoning..."

Jerry nudged him with the elbow to his side and Milton looked at him wide eyed and unseeing. This was getting very strange. Both Jack and Milton had this maniac looks on their faces. Only Jack looked like the world has ended, Milton looked like he had a museum visit ahead of him. Jerry nudged Milton again, thinking that was was less likely to be punched by his ginger friends, than by his brunet one. "What is it Milton? We kind of have a crisis here..." Jerry said pointing to Jack with his eyes.

Milton blinked once, then twice, and then he told Jack, "We need to go and see Bobby immediately. And maybe police. And FBI as well."

* * *

Kim woke up alone with a throbbing headache and general feeling of having been in a fight. She lifted her head and blinked several times trying to focus her eyes over the pulsing pain in her brain. It took her a second, but she recalled the car accident and she jerked her head to the side to see if Jeremy was nearby. That was a bad idea as her head throbbed again and nausea crawled up her throat. She stilled for a little bit and soon recovered her bearings. Slowly she turned her head around.

She was alone. In some industrial building. It looked abandoned, She tried to get up and realized that she was tied to a chair she was sitting on. So she hasn't dreamt it. She was kidnapped. She took stock of everything she could see and feel. She wasn't sure why she was kidnapped, but she hoped it meant that she was worth more alive right now...

A/N: I'm sorry if it feels like I'm dragging this out. Soon... all be revealed.


	29. Chapter 29

Milton practically skipped to the car, making the other two boys quicken their steps to keep up. Jerry was driving because Jack was nearly catatonic and Milton was too safe a driver to make it there quick. Milton made a call to Bryn asking her to do something, although what specifically escaped Jerry's and Jack's understanding. When they arrived at the mansion, Milton ran to the situation room, wide eyed, and demanded that Bobby let him see his emails and media accounts. He was checking something, muttering along the way, until Jack could not take it anymore and grabbed Milton by the shoulder and demanded an explanation.

"It's something you said Jack. How Bobby wanted to play pretend dad to Kim," at this point Bobby had made an apologetic face at everyone in the room. "You see... D-A-D. Everybody thinks that Bobby is Kim's dad. So does the kidnapper." Milton stopped with a triumphant look on his face.

"So? How does it help us?" Chuck was unimpressed.

"We all assumed that the first attack on Kim came after the story about Kicky. But, what if it came after the story about Bobby being her dad?" Milton's proposition was met with silence.

"You see, the first truly hateful message that Kim received was after the poisoning and it expressed the hater's wish for her and her DAD's demise. It is weirdly specific. Consider, there were only three messages and two of them mentioned Kim's dad. Assumed dad. Bobby." Jack's face scrunched up as he processed this information.

"So you think that her hater and the kidnapper are after her because they think Bobby is her dad. And they really are trying to get to Bobby through her, is that it? Then the kidnapping is not for ransom, but to cause Bobby pain, because they think taking his daughter would do that... That's still does not help us identify them or locate them." Jack's expression was grim. He imagined that if Milton was right, then Kim's safety and well being were truly in danger. What better way to hurt a parent, than to hurt their child?

"This is why I want to check Bobby's messages through my algorithm, but I don't have enough time. I have a hunch though..." Milton trailed off, when he found something and he had the "a-ha" look on his face.

"I knew it!" Milton exclaimed and then turned again to face the room. "Jack, Bobby, Jerry and I, all got various disparaging messages in the last six months. This is not conclusive right now, because I don't have enough time to run the full check; but I believe that all of these messages and the attacks on Kim are related. You three all got the food poisoning around the same time. I now suspect that it was not food poisoning, but the same deliberate attack on you, as it was on Kim. The reason they are focusing on Kim now, is because she is dear to the two of you and it is a public knowledge."

The four martial artists looked at each other uneasily and Chuck lowered his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. Kim's mom jumped in, "Is there a way to trace those messages? There has to be a way to find that person, right?"

"Unfortunately, we had trouble tracking them. According to our acquaintance, who has a better understanding of computers, the hater used the public access devices. Different ones at different times. The only thing we know for sure is that it started six month ago and originated in the San Luis Obispo."

Bobby, who was standing, visibly shuddered and then sat down heavily. "Are you sure, Milton?" he said with an unsure voice, as if wishing for a negative answer.

"Pretty sure. Why? Do you know something?"

"Leona... The Black Belt Widow... She pleaded insanity and was put in the heavily guarded psychiatric facility in San Luis Obispo. She should still be there though... We need to check where she is. If she got out, I was supposed to be notified..." Bobby turned to the FBI agent who was already on the phone.

"It makes sense... She blames you and us for foiling her plans and getting her arrested. Kim wasn't there for the wedding, so Leona would not think to harass her. Until the whole Kim Wasabi story blew up. There was a message after the dog incident. It was kind of gloating, like you are hurt because she is hurt. And poison is kind of her thing..." Jack was frantically pacing and muttering as he processed what Milton and Bobby revealed.

* * *

Kim was not sure how long she was sitting there waiting for something to happen. Without knowing who and what she was facing, Kim was riddled with anxiety. Her head hurt a lot and she suspected that she had a concussion, but thankfully, it did not seem like she had other injuries other than some bruises. Finally, she heard footsteps and prepared herself.

Kim's eyes widened when she saw her. It was Leona, Bobby's almost wife. Kim never got to meet her because she was away for the cheerleading competition when Bobby decided to marry. She knew the story of course. She thought that Leona was in prison, but obviously she got out.

Leona came closer and Kim gasped. Leona didn't look like the gorgeous beauty queen she was when she was arrested. From the distance she looked very much like before, but up close you could see that she was gaunt, her hair more silver than gold, her skin pulled tight over the thin face. Under the light of the Edison bulb her face looked skeletal. But it was her eyes that were the biggest difference. Kim never saw anyone who was insane, but she knew that Leona was insane. She was holding her one arm very still and Kim figured there was something wrong with it.

"Hello, Kim. I do realize we haven't properly met, my dear," she stated, her crazy eyes traveling over Kim and she felt like prey. "I am sorry we have to meet like this. You and I, we have something in common."

Kim drew her eyebrows together in confusion.

"Bobby," Leona said, eyebrow raised, waiting to see her reaction.

"Granted, he obviously did not think much of me since he did not introduce us before. Don't you find that interesting? Or was it that he did not think that his future wife was important enough to mention to his daughter? I think he wanted to keep you as safe as possible. Who would have thought that such a selfish man would have one pure thing in his heart?" She asked as she uncrossed her legs, fluidly moving to her feet.

Kim's muscles tensed as Leona took the first few steps towards her. Her eyes glanced at the nearest weapon she could find but the room was bare.

Leona continued to talk as she moved, slowly like a cat circling their prey. "It was only after he was almost dead that he acknowledged you in public. Such an interesting situation, don't you think? So secretive, no? And when you came under attack? Oh, he came quickly to your side, didn't he? " here Leona laughed throwing her head back.

Kim's heart beat loudly in her chest as Leona was only a few steps away from her now. "It was a misunderstanding. He was sick and I was a familiar face," Kim said, her voice steadier than she thought it would be in that moment. "The articles were an honest mistake."

"Now you are just like him. Pretending that you are nothing to him," she replied, tilting her head to the side. "Are you trying to convince me you not special to him?"

Kim didn't reply, and apparently, Leona wasn't really interested in the answer. Instead, she continued talking, as she walked her circle around Kim. Well trained by Rudy, Kim tried moved with her (never allow the opponent to get behind you). Leona seemed to notice this and smiled knowingly.

"The little Wasabi girl has grown up Wasabi," she crowed, eyes alighting a little manically. "You may not look like him, but he trained you, didn't he? Precious girl..."

"What did you do to Jeremy and Michael?"

"Who? Oh, the useless men that your useless dad hired? I left them there. I have not interest in them. Although one of them was better at this bodyguarding thing... Oh, well, he may survive, he may not. I don't care. You, on the other hand..." Leona trailed off inspecting Kim again like a peculiar exhibit.

Kim bit her tongue on the retort she felt building up within her. She didn't want to give too much away to Leona.

"What do you want with me, Leona?" Kim bit out, suspecting she knew Leona had a purpose for being in Seaford, and she was sure it had something to do with her presumed father.

"It's nothing personal, you understand. I just need your father and boyfriend to pay attention."

"Well, I am strapped here to the chair. It feels very personal right now. What are you doing with me?"

"You know exactly what I'm doing here," Leona barked, the smile falling from her lips as she stepped closer. "I want you father to suffer. He and your little boyfriend put me behind bars in the loony bin. You know how much _dignity_ you get to keep in a place like that? Ha, what could you possible know? Little spoiled karate princess, beloved by her father and her boyfriend. Just killing them isn't good enough. I want them to feel the pain, I want their little hearts to wither. You will help me, like you did before."

Leona grabbed Kim's face and leaned over, her breath hot on Kim's face.

"It was fascinating and felt so-so good to see them fall apart when you almost keeled over from those cookies. Jack was so distraught: he punched the wall. And Bobby.. Well, that man has money instead of emotions, but I guess you're used to it. Yes, that was a success. I only made one mistake: you almost died, the dose was too strong. I guess you are a bit smaller than the guys... And that yippy dog! Pure serendipity! Were you upset? Did you cry your eyes out? And Jack? Was he holding you, feeling useless because he could not help you? Tell me!" Leona's voice rose sharply and her eyes were lit with manic fire. "Of course that ugly flesh bag that is your father just threw money at you as usual. And he is milking it all for attention. You realize that, don't you? He does not love you! He loves his reflection in you."

She let go of Kim's face and stepped back. "It does not matter. They care about you. Killing you is too easy and too quick. You, suffering and in pain, on the other hand, is delicious. One stone, two birds." Leona was grinning again, her face a grotesque mask of joy and her eyes bright and wide.

She pulled a phone from somewhere and pointed it at Kim. "Smile, my dear, make it pretty. Your dad and boyfriend would want to see that. They must have missed you terribly these past two days."

Next thing Kim knew, Leona slapped her across the face disturbing the bruises and scabs on the side of the face. The pain that flared in her head was blinding and Kim was left blinking white spots.

* * *

Despite the new energy that Milton's information brought on, they results were slow to come. The FBI agent did not confirm their theory. According to official records, Leona was still in the facility and a flimsy theory by a high schooler was not enough to make anyone go check on the facility in person. In fact, the FBI was now questioning them all in that suggested they thought the attack came from someone close to Kim.

Jack was ready to scream and punch people and only the knowledge that he needed all the help to bring Kim back stopped him. He and Bobby agreed that Leona, or someone connected to her, were behind the kidnapping. Milton was working through Bobby's messages to confirm his theory and Bryn was on hand, although she refused to come near anyone with a badge. She was currently trying to break into the server of the psychiatric facility to see if Leona was really there. Unofficially, the dojo became a secondary situation room and that's where Jack was when he got the message.

It was a picture with a small tag line, "Are you missing anything? I think I found something of yours." With shaking and clammy hands he opened the picture and stopped breathing. It was Kim. She was tied to the chair, her hair messy and her face was dirty with blood and grime. It was all on one side of her face. It must be where she hit her head. Jack could see that she was already bruised, the skin on her temple already a dark purple.

She was looking, no, glaring at camera and for a second Jack's eyes softened because it was so Kim, brave and defiant.

He stood there like this for a suspended moment until he heard Milton call his name. "Jack! Jack! What is it?"

Jack simply passed the phone to Milton, whose eyes widened and he immediately passed the phone to Bryn. She started typing and mumbling along her progress.

"If I get in trouble, will FBI take into consideration that I am helping to find a kidnap victim?" she asked and waived her hand off when Milton looked at her slack jawed.

Jack ignored her as he was already calling Bobby.

"Did you get the message as well?" Jack said without preamble.

"So, will the FBI do now?"

"OK. I'll come as well, but it does not sound promising."

"Yes, yes, she is working on it already."

He hung up and confirmed what others already understood. "Bobby got the same message. The FBI is looking to trace it too right now, but it seems like they still don't buy into the Leona theory. I am going there now with my phone. Bryn, do you need anything from me to complete your trace? Do you need Bobby's message as well?"

"Your's should do, unless they are very clever."

Jack left the dojo. On the way to the mansion he was mulling the situation and available options. It was not much, but he had to try. He picked his phone again and placed a call.

"Sledge. I need help. We have some information on who took Kim and caused the accident."

"Yes, I am sure."

"No, FBI is not buying our theory."

"Milton figured it out..."

"Yeah, he is brilliant."

"I need help, but it is..."

"Yes, I understand. So far, it is just me and maybe some of Bobby's guys..."

"OK. Talk to you soon."

 _Just hold on Kim. I am coming for you._


	30. Chapter 30

Next time Kim came to she was actually on a dirty mattress in the corner of the room. Her hands were tied with a zip tie behind her back. Her face throbbed as well as her head and she recalled with revulsion that Leona packed a mean punch. Though Leona only hit her several times, compounded with the previous concussion it was enough to knock Kim out. She imagined her face was indeed picture worthy now. She also imagined that Jack would be heartsick over it. _I'll think about it later._

She wallowed in those miserable thought for a little bit, but she could not afford to fall apart right this moment. She had to rescue herself before Leona lost her marbles and decided to do something more drastic than slapping her around. She wouldn't put anything past that crazy woman. Kim figured that at most Leona had one person helping her. It might have been that she was alone altogether. She did not see or hear anyone else. Although, Leona certainly had some help getting out of the loony bin she was in.

She was never more thankful for her continued gymnastics and cheerleading practices than now. She wiggled her body and threaded her lower torso and legs through her tied hands, so that they were no longer tied behind her back, but in front. Next part was straight-forward, but also was going to hurt a lot: she need to break the ties. She pulled her hands apart as far as she could to make the zip tie taut. Placing her feet by the zip tie, she kicked as much as she could in the scrunched up position. She repeated it a couple of times, biting her tongue to prevent the screaming.

It hurt. A LOT. The tie dug into the skin on her wrists, cutting in and ripping it, and it felt like her hands were being broken, but she succeeded. It was not pretty. Her wrists were raw and bloody in some spots, but it did not feel like she sprained or broke anything. _I'll think about it later._

She checked the door: it was locked and she had nothing on her to open it. She'd have to attack when the Leona or whoever came next to her.

She checked her surroundings to find anything resembling a weapon. There was not much. She had her scarf, boots, and a flash drive from Caitlyn still jammed into the pocket of her jeans. She looked around the room. Aside from the mattress, there was nothing else. Recalling one of the kung-fu movies she'd seen with Jack, Kim went to the mattress and checked it. YES, it was a spring mattress. Frantically digging with her bare hands and using remnants of the zip tie to catch the fabric, she ripped it and fished through the padding until she found the springs. She loosened them out and got two free from the mattress. It would have to do.

She could feel that the two days without much food were getting to her. She suspected that she was kept unconscious on purpose and the weakness she felt was not strictly from the concussion and hunger. Sooner or later, they'd have to come to either feed or to send another message to Jack and Bobby. She needed to be ready with her best when that door opened again.

* * *

The FBI was busy with the trace and lost all interest in interviewing either Jack of Bobby. Left to their own devices the two went back to the dojo, where Sledge agreed to meet Jack. When they got to the dojo, they were met by the unlikely group: Sledge brought Jeremy and Ricky with him, as well as two more men. Jack recoiled at seeing Ricky there, but Ricky's worried expression and defiant tilt of the chin told Jack that the other guy was not going anywhere. Jack merely nodded at him and turned to Jeremy.

"Why are you here? You should be in bed."

"I never lost a client before. It is still my assignment and I want to be involved." Jeremy was standing tall, but his proud stance was undermined by black and blue marks on his face.

"And you are OK with that?" Jack turned to Sledge, who was sitting by Milton and Bryn. Bryn was outright ogling all the fit men, fully ignoring Ricky.

"He is not going with us, but he can be our support team."

"OK. Milton, Bryn what to you have for us?" Jack was anxious for some bit of a good news.

"I was able to trace the signal to a the possible tower that transmitted it. Now it covers about a three mile radius area, which is a lot." Bryn snapped from her ogling and turned to Jack and Bobby.

"I pulled the map," Milton added in, showing the map on his tablet. "This the area Bryn is talking about."

It looked like a mass of green with some road on them and Jack was not sure how they'd be able to narrow it.

Sledge looked at it with Jeremy and his guys. "It has to be some sort of structure, where they keep her. In the picture it was obvious that the there is a cinder block wall behind Kim... It might be abandoned," Sledge said still studying the images.

"Water, gas, power!" Milton exclaimed. "If there is a structure, it should have some utilities running there. Or it used to have."

Bryn was pulling information as Milton spoke and soon she had a list of addresses on her screen. "I really hope that I get the free pass on all this hacking."

"I'll pay your legal fees if it comes to it," Ricky said and Bryn looked at him briefly.

"OK, here is the list of likely structures. Only two were are abandoned now, because there was no billing in the last three months."

There was a moment of silence and then Sledge sighed, "We'd have to split into two teams. I don't want to run the chance of them moving."

In the end, two of Bobby's bodyguards joined the rescue teams. Jeremy and Bobby went as the support and to be the drivers in case others were unable to do so themselves.

Before they left, Ricky stopped Jack. "Jack! ... Good luck out there." he stopped unsure and Jack understood. Ricky cared about Kim, but she was with him.

"Thanks... And thank you... for Jeremy and Michael... And for this as well... I know Sledge is the head of your security..." he did not get to finish.

"It's nothing. Sledge is miffed about almost losing his two men. And Jeremy's pride is engaged now. Plus I think he kind of likes her like a sister. This all... It was, IS, for Kim. I would... Well, you know... Just... bring her back, OK?"

The usual jealousy that consumed Jack when he dealt with Ricky was absent. He guessed that if Ricky felt even a fraction of what he felt for Kim, he could understand him better.

All Jack did in reply was nod.

* * *

 _ **Re: Jack Brewer**_

jbgirl: _hey you guys, is it just me or was there silence from both Kim and Jack these past three days? is it true that her dad pulled her out of school? does it mean that he also would be leaving school?_

bbelt: _now that you mentioned it, yes, it is kind of strange. And Bobby was silent too._

jbgirl: _she is not sick again, is she?_

bbelt: _she seemed healthy to me, but then she passed out in the gym. mb she is._

jbgirl: _oh god, do you think she is dying?_

* * *

When the door opened, Kim jumped into action. With the springs coiled around her fists she punched Leona in the face and followed up with a kick to the mid section. Leona fell, but Kim suspected she was not out for the count yet. Kim was not as strong as she could have been, but adrenaline carried her and she made run for the door.

Outside, she saw that she was in fact in some industrial building and she ran down the hall hoping she picked the right direction. She saw another door and ran towards it, when her progress was halted as someone literally jumped on her from above. She went down hard, her knees taking the brunt of the fall and she could not stop the tears running down her cheeks. _I'll think about it later_.

She scrambled up and turned to see that her attacker was a man. He held a gun pointed towards her and she stilled. Leona reached them by now and her cheek was red with angry looking marks from the coils. She came up to Kim and pulled her hand up to study Kim's impromptu brass knuckles.

"Clever girl. Not as useless as I thought you to be." Leona's admiring words were in conflict with her mad expression. She slowly lifter her eyes to look as Kim and threw a punch at her. Kim dodged and returned the favor, but then she heard the cocking of the gun and she stopped again. The man grabbed her from behind and pointed the gun at her temple.

"Oh, this is perfect!" Leona said happily and pulled a phone out. "This would be a great update on you to send to your men. You should see yourself: dirty, bloody, your face is so bruised and your hands... Well, they are just a mess."

Leona babbled describing all the perfect pain she would cause with her latest photography effort. Kim pretended to listen. Leona babbled more, and Kim pretended to act timid and scared and looked down and away. Leona stepped even closer and reached out a finger as if to tilt up her chin, and Kim was thankful to finally move.

One hand clad in spring coils was used to squeeze the guy behind her right in the balls. Gross, but so effective. When he flinched and yelped and moved his hand with a gun slightly away from her, she slammed her head back against him, her smaller size meaning she smacked him right in the nose with a satisfying crunch, grabbing the hand with a gun away and forward. She followed through with a head butt forward and managed to knock Leona a few steps back as she tried to instinctively to move away from the gun. Kim threw an elbow back at the guy and his hold on the gun slackened. She threw it away. Free from the hold on her throat, Kim kicked out at Leona and they engaged in a little fight. Leona was good and Kim was tired, but she was younger and she was fighting for her life. They would have gone for a little while, but then a loud noise startled Kim.

The gun! The guy must have got the gun again and fired. Kim instinctively lowered herself to the ground, just in time, because Leona kicked at her. Kim managed to grab Leona's foot and swung her towards the wall, when she heard the shattering of windows somewhere... The cavalry arrived.

* * *

Jack, Sledge and one of Bobby's guys were approaching what appeared an old storage building. Bobby was their driver and Jack appreciated that the guy, though he no longer had to drive himself, has retained some of the skills from his movie days. He parked the car and was stayed in it for the back up. They approached it slowly on foot and Jack, as the lightest and youngest, scaled the side of the building to get to the high windows. His view was that of the long balcony that went around on level with high windows. There was obviously the lower level and Jack needed to get inside. He was prepared to pry the window quietly, when he heard a gunshot.

Heart logged in this throat, stealth forgotten, he punched through the glass and threw himself inside. He could see the action below. Kim was fighting Leona and just at that moment grabbed her foot and threw her into the wall. But there was another figure crouching on the floor and he must be the one with the gun. Both relieved and terrified, Jack took a running jump from the balcony and fell forward. Distantly he heard more gunshots and shouts and prepared himself for the impact. He slammed into the floor with his shoulder and the pain was real, but manageable.

He jumped up in time to see Kim falling sideways and it was like the gym again... He shouted and ran towards her, hearing, but not caring about, the bullets and his sight zeroed on the golden haired girl.

It seemed like it took forever, but he made it to her side and picked her head up. It was bloody and the left side of her face was one giant bruise and bloody scabs. She opened her eyes - her left pupil looking larger than the right - and she smiled at him.

"I knew you'd come to rescue me..." she whispered.

"You don't need any help. You rescued yourself," he answered trying to chuckle, but what came out was an embarrassing sob.

Kim smiled again and lifted her hand to touch his face. He grabbed it - it was bloody, skin torn, and was she wearing some wire as brass knuckles? - and placed a kiss on her palm and pressed it against his cheek. "Let's get out of here."

She nodded her head and then her eyes rolled back and she fainted.

"KIIIIIIIM!"

A/N: sorry for the suspense. I'll go and hide now.


	31. Chapter 31

When Kim passed out, Jack had the moment of total disconnect from reality. Everything was quiet and his vision was narrowed to Kim and her face. He looked at her face uncomprehending: why were her eyes closed again? He stared at her until he saw a flutter of lashes against her skin. Suddenly, the world around him had sound and movement again. He quickly run his hands over her body. There were no bullet wounds that he could see. She was unconscious, but not wounded. Jack was clutching Kim to him, holding her close. _She had to be OK._

He heard his name being called and turned to see Sledge standing over him with a gun in his hand. Bobby and the other two guys were all standing nearby. "How are you guys?"

"She is unconscious. I think she has a bad concussion and she is bruised, but I can't tell if anything else is wrong."

"What about you? You took a crazy jump there kid. Anything hurts?"

Jack just shook his head. "You sure? Your hand..."

"It's fine. We need to get her to the hospital. Are you guys OK?"

"All good. We called in the FBI. They'd need to see all this." Sledge pointed around himself.

Jack followed his movements. Leona was unconscious on the ground, with handcuffs on her. The man, who must have been her accomplice, was lying on his back, a pool of blood growing larger around his head. Jack never saw a dead body before and for a brief moment he was sick to his stomach. He looked away and asked, "will you get in trouble for killing the man?"

"Well, there is obviously self-defense and defense of others..." Sledge trailed off.

"He won't get into trouble. I shot him," Bobby announced.

Sledge quickly looked at him. "You sure Bobby?"

"Yes, they'll see a distraught father, who took a crazy chance to save his girl and shot a man, who held a gun. Even if prosecutors decide to bring the case against me, chances are the jury might see it my way."

"Well, in that case, I and my men will leave now. On foot. You would need the car to get to the hospital."

Sledge and the other were gone and Jack and Bobby were left to wait for the FBI to show up. Kim was looking paler and paler by the second and Jack was worried that there was something terribly wrong with her.

 _She had to be OK._

Finally be stood up with Kim in his arms.

"Bobby, I need to get her to the hospital. You'll be OK by yourself here?"

Bobby waived a gun in his hand, "yeah, of course. Go. Take care of her. I'll call others and her parents. And have someone look at your hand."

Jack nodded and left carrying Kim close tho his chest. She was light and he hoisted her high, so that her head was on his shoulder and not jostled too much. He was careful not to disturb any of her visible bruises. He swallowed hard _. She had to be OK._

He drove as quickly as he could without disturbing her too much. She lay on the reclined passenger seat and from this angle she looked like she was asleep. If you could ignore her dirty and bloody clothes and messed up hands and wrists. It obvious to him now that she was tied up and somehow managed to break free. For a second he imagined it, Kim tied up and being beaten, and he had to grit his teeth and forcible think of the road lest his heartache for her and the violent need to go back and pay back Leona overwhelmed him. She needed him. He needed her.

 _She had to be OK._

He got the Seaford hospital and stopped the car the emergency entrance. He was out of the door and carrying Kim in record time. The triage nurse took a look at him and started shouting orders. Jack didn't know what picture they presented just then. Him dressed in all black, dirty, with a grim expression on his face, and cradling an unconscious girl tenderly.

Everything moved fast afterwards. Kim was transferred to the gurney and taken to the room. Nurse was asking him question about Kim's injuries and they all looked at him weirdly when they got to her hands with make shift brass knuckles. He just shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know what happened here. She had those on when I found her."

The nurse muttered something about police and Jack said, "The FBI is on their way."

More weird looks and then Kim was taken in. Before the nurse left, she said she'd send someone to look at his hand.

It was all too much like the last time Kim was in the hospital. Jack waited, paced, tried to keep himself distracted from fearful thoughts.

"Jack!" He jumped and turned to face Kim's parents, his own parents, and his friends. Kim's mother ran to him and hugged him crying into his chest. "Thank you, thank you, thank you... How is she? How are you?"

Before he could answer, Chuck and Jack's parents came up. His mom was hugging him too and his shirt was getting wet from all the tears. Chuck patted him on the back, "thank you, son."

"It wasn't just me. Milton and Bryn, they figured where she was kept."

"I know son. Still, thank you..."

Milton and Bryn looked away shy and Ricky nodded at Jack from where he was. The pop star looked haggard and Jack knew that he was worried. He came to him and told him about Sledge and others coming on foot.

They all sat waiting again. Jack's mom was pestering him about his hand and trying to get him to eat something. He waived it all off and eventually the doctor came out. It was the same young Asian American doctor from the last time.

"Family of Kim Crawford?" at everyone's nods she continued. "She has a third degree concussion, various cuts and contusions. We will need an MRI to see how bad the concussion is and X-rays to determine if she has fractures of wrists and knees. She is dehydrated and we believe she had been given drugs to keep her sedated." Doctor's delivery was clinical, but her voice was soft and her eyes were even softer. "After the tests are completed, she will be taken to her room here. You can see her then."

She turned to leave, but then caught sight of Jack. "Did anyone check your hand?"

"There is nothing wrong with my..." Jack trailed off as he lifted his hands. His left wrist was looking kind of funny. It was purpling and there was something poking out, where it shouldn't. "Huh... Well, that looks strange."

The doctor took his hand and started prodding it. "Do you feel any pain? Any discomfort?"

Jack was about to shake his head, but was overtaken by shivers. It was how he sometimes felt after the matches; he knew it was just the adrenaline letting down and he simply tried to breath through it, but it was not enough. His brain, finally no longer in constant worry over Kim, started processing all the things that happened in the last several days and Jack could not stop the shivers and shaking of his hands. Now his hand hurt. A lot. So did his shoulder and he recalled that he did fall on them pretty hard when he jumped from the balcony.

"We need to X-ray your wrist," the doctor was firm, but Jack was already shaking his head no.

"No, I need to see Kim when she is out of tests."

"It'll be a while. We need to do an MRI. You'll be done with your test long before she is. Come now, don't argue. The sooner you are done, the sooner you can come back here. I'll send the nurse with orders." the doctor left and Jack looked around to see a mass of curious and grateful faces.

"Dude, did you not see or feel your hand being all funky? How did you even do that?" Jerry was staring at Jack in awe.

"I didn't feel anything. There was the balcony that I jumped from. I think that's when it happened, but there were bullets flying, so..." Jack stopped talking because his mother started sobbing quietly and others stared at him like they never saw him before.

He was grateful when the nurse showed up to take him to do the test.

* * *

When he got back, with a brand new cast on his wrist and taped up shoulder, the crowd grew with addition of Rudy, Bobby, his security and the FBI agent, who worked on Kim's disappearance. Apparently, he was here to accommodate Bobby's request to see Kim and then to take Bobby off for questioning. When the nurse came in she was taken aback to see such a large crowd.

"The patient is asleep. Only family members for now."

Kim's parents and Bobby left to see Kim and Jack was left with the rest of the group looking at him.

"What happened out there Jack? Was it Leona? Bobby only said that you found Kim and were on the way to the hospital..." Milton asked him and Jack was stumped at what exactly to tell his friends. He was not sure he could tell them about the dead man.

"It was Leona. She had one guy helping her. Kim already broke free from wherever they were holding her and when we got in, she was fighting Leona. Kim got her down, but her accomplice had a gun and started shooting. I am not sure what exactly happened: I just ran to Kim and the next thing I know, Leona was handcuffed and her assistant was unconscious."

There, thought Jack, this was truthful and vague enough.

All other questions had to wait because Bobby returned with the FBI agent. Jack was wanted for questioning as well, but he outright refused to come until Kim woke up. They stared at each other for a moment, and the then the agent nodded and left.

Slowly, one by one, people started leaving since there was not much to do, but to wait. Chuck left Kim's room and offered that Jack can take his place. He himself wanted to talk to the police and FBI. He left and Jack was alone with Ricky in the waiting room.

"You know Jack, I envy you. Not because you have Kim, but because you love her and she you. People talk about it a lot, but not many actually get to experience it. You literally jumped from the balcony for her and did not care about bullets."

"I don't know what to say to that. Kim... she is... She told me once that we have thousand of days of memories between us... I don't know when I knew I loved her, but now I think that I always have... She is everything and being without her is not an option I want to consider." Jack trailed off feeling oddly exposed having said all of that to Ricky.

The other man just nodded. After a long silence he finally said, "Was that all that happened there? Why they need to talk to Bobby?"

Jack sighed and quietly said, "Leona's accomplice has been shot dead. I am not sure who did it, but Bobby decided to claim that it was him. At that moment, when I jumped and the guy fired a gun, Kim fell and I thought that she was shot. I think Sledge thought so too and fired his gun. Only his aim was true..."

The two young men sat silent again and Jack marveled at the twist of fate that made him contemplate Ricky as possibly one of his friends.

* * *

Their reverie was disturbed when Eric Stormer showed up. Jack scowled and started getting up and Ricky followed the suit. Eric raised his hands in mock surrender, "Wait! I am not here for the story. In fact, I am here to help."

Jack scoffed disbelieving. Eric continued, "you should know that pictures of you carrying Kim into the hospital looking all black-ops commando have already been posted on some fan sites."

Jack's jaw fell open and he stared at Eric in shock, "Black-ops commando?"

"Yes. And then the contingent of your usual friends and family came here. And then Ricky... People would be making up stories anyway. I can help. Let me get out the best story out there." Eric seemed sincere, his eyes were practically pleading.

"Why do yo want to help? What's in it for you?"

"I feel terrible. When I came across the car wreck, I thought it was because of me. That they tried to get away from me..."

"What? Why?"

"I followed Kim in LA and they spotted me and tried to evade... And then, that bodyguard, he was so upset... And after all the questioning, I figured that Kim was taken... I am glad you got her back... I am sorry I caused her so much headache... Plus, if I get to tell the story and quote you or Ricky directly, it would be a coup for me."

So Eric was remorseful, but also acted in self-interest.

"What are the stories out there now?" Ricky asked sharply.

"There are three prevalent theories. One, Kim was secretly seeing you in LA and got OD'ed. Two, she miscarried and people are split on whose baby it was. Third, and so far the most popular, is that Kim is actually terminally ill and is on her death bed."

What the hell? Jack looked at Eric, then Ricky, then back at Eric in shock. "Drugs, pregnancy or deathbed? How do people come out with such theories?"

"Well, the truth is much more unbelievable..." Ricky said and Jack chuckled unhappily in agreement.

"If they have the picture of me with Kim coming into the hospital, maybe we should try to work with that. Go with as much truth as possible. Say, Kim was in LA. I went with her. On the way back there was an accident. I brought her in. I even have the broken wrist as proof that I was in accident as well."

"OK, OK... That would work... I have some pictures from her time in LA..." at this Jack glared at Eric, who just shrugged his shoulders apologetically. "I have the footage of the car wreck. It looks very bad. Then the pictures of you coming in with Kim. All I need is a picture of you here with cast in view and then I can run with a story."

Jack sighed and nodded his head. It was part of the cover story now. Jack sat back heavily on the chair, elbows on his lap and head hung low. He felt Ricky plop down next to him and stretch out in the uncomfortable chair. The two young men did not realize it, but at the moment, they were a picture of weary, tired, anxious friends... Eric took the picture and mentally congratulated himself. It was one of the best photos he took in his life as the celebrity reporter. The two young men were attractive in a completely opposite ways. Jack was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome, and had the masculine aura about him that suited well for drama and action. Ricky had more of the elfin look about him: young, effervescent and beautiful like a dream. Together, they were devastating.

* * *

 ** _GossipGirls dot com_**

 _There was a lot of speculation in the last three days about Kim Crawford and Jack Brewer. After Kim's father, Bobby Wasabi, has insisted on putting his daughter in a private school (see the related story as reported by us first, here) the young woman was not seen of heard of. Similarly, her boyfriend and Bobby's protege Jack Brewer was not seen around. Some speculated that Kim was sick again (see the story on her hospitalization with food poisoning)._

 _We have uncovered the truth! Kim and Jack were in a terrible car accident that left Kim with a concussion and Jack with a broken wrist. The young couple were in LA, where Kim was auditioning. [embedded pictures]_

 _On the way back, their car was in an accident. [embedded pictures] It is unclear at this moment, what caused the accident._ _By all accounts the accident was bad and it is sheer luck that everyone walked away alive. There were four people in that car: Kim, Jack, the driver and Kim's bodyguard._

 _Later on, Jack was spotted bringing Kim into the hospital. [embedded pictures]._

 _Kim's condition is stable and Jack only suffered a broken wrist. As you can see, the latest accident brought everyone to Kim's bedside. Her parents, Bobby, friends, and even Ricky Weaver were seen coming and going to and from the hospital. [embedded pictures]_

 _We here at GossipGirls wish her and everyone speedy recovery. She has a faithful boyfriend and a loyal friend waiting anxiously for her. [embedded picture]_


	32. Chapter 32

**_WeaverWorld dot com_**

 _Ricky has been seen in Seaford again. His friends, Kim Crawford and Jack Brewer were in a car accident and, naturally, RW was visiting them. And while Jack has been seen walking around with just a cast on his wrist, Kim has not been released from the hospital yet. As you can see from the photo gallery, Kim's bodyguard, who previously was employed by Ricky was seen around the hospital as well. While we prefer not to comment on RW's personal life, we will make an exception now and wish his friends speedy recovery._

Comments:

rw4ever: _ppl say she is dying! you think it's true?_

weavermagic: _no, the GG article said it was just a bad concussion. i mean, i don't care about the girl, but she's too young._

rw4ever: _well, i hope she gets better. she and Jack are RW's friends. it would be devastating if smth bad happened..._

caitweaver: _she is not dying! she is in coma though. they say her concussion is bad..._

weavemagic: _where'd you heard that?_

caitweaver: _i told you, i live in Seaford and met Kim be4. she's nice. i met Jack too. when i heard she's in hospital, i came to check on her._

rw4ever: _and they just told you everything?_

caitweaver: _no! but ppl talk and don't pay attention. nurses are like into RW and Jack. especially Jack. he is like living in the hospital now. you saw that pic when he brought her to hospital?!_

weavemagic: _yeah. but that other pic of RW with Jack in the waiting room... Sigh... they are so hot, it's unfair._

* * *

It was another three days before Kim woke up. The MRI test results came back and the doctor was optimistic that there were no brain hemorrhaging or fluid buildups. She had hairline fractures on her wrists and, while there were no fractures on her knees, she was bruised there badly. All in all, she had a host of minor issues, but nothing too severe. It was a good news that buoyed everyone for a while.

However, Kim was not waking up and the doctors were not helpful in soothing anyone's fears. Apparently, comas were not uncommon with brain trauma and no one knew how long they'd last. Kim's doctor believed that it was the sign of Kim's body healing itself and that such a coma was more likely the result of too much stress and possible drugs, rather than the concussion. There was nothing to do, but to wait for her to wake up.

Bobby was held up for questioning for a good portion of the day, but his attorney made a bit a stink about charging his client with a crime. At that point the FBI let him out and he was back in the hospital. He, Chuck and Jeremy made for an interesting group. Chuck was a corporate attorney and had plenty of professional acquaintances that he thought would be helpful to Bobby. Jeremy, as the bodyguard, knew quite a bit about self-defense and defense of others situations.

Jack had to leave the hospital to go talk to the FBI. Chuck, armed with healthy fresh distrust of the agency, arranged for Jack to have a lawyer present. It went smoothly enough. Jack only had one moment of hesitation when he was asked directly if he saw the man with a gun point it at anyone in particular. Thankfully, his attorney managed to rephrase the question and Jack could honestly answer that he was so preoccupied with Kim that he did not see anything other than the man had a gun in his hand.

Jack was also asked about how they figured that Kim was in that particular structure. Once again, Jack was able to dodge the direct answer.

He later found out that Milton was asked about his algorithm and his hacking into the utilities mainframes. Before he could plea the Fifth (Milton was inordinately proud to say that in real life), the FBI was stopped from further questioning by Milton's dad. Milton being a minor, they had to have his guardian present, as well as his attorney. It seemed that Chuck's friendships paid off.

Bobby's lawyer also pointed out that the agency refused to follow-up on the solid lead about Leona and even failed to ascertain whether she was still incarcerated. Such negligence was abysmal and the lawyer threatened with all sorts of civil litigation on behalf of Kim, her parents, Bobby and the American public in general.

In the end, the FBI closed the case and Bobby's confession about shooting Leona's accomplice was referred to the local authority. As Bobby predicted, the prosecutor's office chose not to charge him with any crime other than the possession of an unregistered gun.

They also finally learned, who was Leona's accomplice. It turned out that one of the orderlies in the psychiatric facility that she was held, knew of her previous riches. Together they hatched a plan for Leona to escape. It was not clear if the man was in it strictly for money or was there something else going on. He had the working knowledge of poisons and drugs and it was he, who procured the toxins used to poison Bobby and boys, as well as the one that almost killed Kim.

All of this mattered very little to Jack. Aside from a visit to FBI, he did not leave the hospital. Bobby once again arranged for Kim to have the largest suit and Jack was sleeping in the reclining chair that was brought it. He showered, ate, and slept in her room. His parents tried to convince him to come, but relented after his moody silence drove them out of the room. On the upside, his mom and Kim's became very friendly discussing their stubborn and beautiful children.

All of this existed in the periphery of Jack's world, which right now shrank to the size of Kim's hospital bed. He kept waiting for her to wake up. He talked to her, held her hand and quietly despaired that she would not wake up. His realization that he loved her was not unexpected, but the power of it still awed him. He wanted to tell Kim this. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted - hoped really - that she loved him too...

He slept poorly, riddled with nightmares again, and had the patience of a bear with a sore paw. His friends and family all but avoided him at this point.

* * *

It was the second time that Kim woke up to the sound of steady beeping and surrounded by a lot of white and cream. Hospital. She was in the hospital. The memories of the capture and rescue came back in quick succession and Kim's head throbbed painfully. She tried to move her hand to her forehead, and noticed that she had both a wrapped up hand and an IV line stuck in her vein. Now that she was awake and moving a little, all sorts of aches and pains became noticeable. Her head though hurt the most. She groaned, but abruptly stopped, because it made the headache worse. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe through it.

Then she heard it. Someone getting out of chair in haste, the metal legs scraping on the floor, and grabbing her hand gently. She opened eyes and saw that it was Jack. His face was tired, with dark circles under the eyes, his hair lank. He looked at her with a soft expression in his eyes. "Hey there. How are you? Doctors said that your head would hurt for a while. Don't move too much..."

He was talking gently combing through the hair on one side of her face. She tried to ask something about what happened after she passed out, but Jack shushed her with a finger on her lips.

"Kim... I am so glad you woke up... You've been asleep for a while now. We were worried... I was worried... I just got you back..." He sighed and kissed her hand over the bandages.

It was then that Kim saw that his own hand was in a cast. She furrowed her brows in confusion and looked up at him in silent question. Jack saw her expression and waived it off.

"It's nothing. Just a small fracture. The cast should come off soon..."

They were silent for a while, enjoying closeness and the quiet.

"You won't believe but it's actually unusual that there are only two of us here. Usually there is a crowd. Our moms are getting along like house on fire. I think they are already planning the wedding... And Ricky has been here a lot. You know, he is not so bad. Jeremy is out of hospital and has been making friendly with you dad. Oh, the best gossip is that Jerry and Bryn have been like dancing around each other. They all have been coming here to see you. And your cheerleading friends, and Kevin, and even Caitlyn. Really, so many people care about you Kim. I hope you know that. That you are loved. By everyone... And by me... I love you..." His speech ended in a whisper and Kim was crying softly because for all that Jack acted the tough, macho man, he had a way with words. At least it always worked on her.

"I thought I lost you for a moment. When police told us about the accident and that they could not find you. And then again when that gun went off and you fell. And you slept and slept... Kim, you can't do that to me... I joked before that you'd be the death of me, but... I don't know how I would do without you... And I don't want to find out..." Jack held her hand and placed it against his forehead, his voice choked up and watery...

Kim moved to her side, silently cursing the soreness and pain that flared everywhere in her body. Jack lifted his head to say something, but it was Kim's turn to shush him. "I am here Jack. I am OK. You found me and brought me back... And I am not going anywhere... I... I love you too. You must know that..."

Jack looked at her in wonder and then they kissed. It was careful and gentle - Kim felt every single one of her bruises and her head was kind of killing her - but oh so meaningful. This moment, this confession, was not in the most of romantic places and she and Jack were sort of broken and bruised, but it was hers and she wouldn't change it for the world.


	33. Chapter 33

Kim was bored and ready to go home. Two more days have passed since she woke up and she felt fine. Or as fine as one can feel with a remnants of a concussion, fractured wrists and badly bruised knees. She had headache and general soreness, but the boredom was worse than the aches. The doctors though, fully supported by her family and friends, were insisting she stay in the hospital in case something happened.

She finally was able to convince Jack to go home and sleep in his own bed. Though he badly needed it, she was not prepared for how lonely she would feel, when the night set in and she was left alone in her hospital suite. The memories of the accident, waking up in the unfamiliar place, confrontations with Leona, fight for her life and the surreal scene of a shootout and Jack falling from the sky, all converged on her and she could not fall asleep even if she tried. Shaken and a little afraid, Kim decided to catch up on the events since the accident. Her phone and tablet were hopelessly lost and her parents brought her the new substitutes.

She read the news (so much more headache), she read celebrity gossip (not as entertaining now that she was somehow part of this world), she listened to the new music (Ricky was on the top of pop charts). She checked her Google alerts and found Eric's article on the accident. It seemed that this was a prevailing story. There were a few speculations about her being deathly sick, the persistent pregnancy rumor and even the drug overdose, but mostly it was the story about the car accident and subsequent injuries. Not bad, all in all.

Finally, she checked her social media. She dreaded it a little... Knowing what people could conjure about the celebrities, she was not looking forward to seeing what sort of rumors went about her and her absence.

jbgirl at blackbeltkimc, at jackbrewer: _hope you recover soon!_

bbelt at blackbeltkimc, at jackbrewer: _i know you probably don't remember me, but we met in LA. i hope you feel better soon!_

Seafordcheersquad at blackbeltkimc: _Kim, we are waiting for you! hope you will come back to cheering soon!_

Pawtasticpets at blackbeltkimc: _Kim, all our furry friends are missing you already. Get better and come back!_

kickforthewin at blackbetlkimc, at jackbrewer: _Kim get better soon! we ship you guys so hard! Jack, stay strong!_

And so on, and so forth... The messages went on like this and Kim's eyes watered a little at this. There were so many messages of support. More than the last time she had such outpouring when she found the puppy and people learned about it. She could not believe it.

The handle on one of the messages caught her attention and she checked it. _Kickforthewin_ was not only a Twitter account, it was also an Instragram account and it was a treasure trove of candid and manipulated images of her and Jack. She shamelessly checked it out and was smiling broadly when she saw some of the images and corresponding captions. By far the most liked one was the picture of Jack carrying her into the hospital the second time around. It looked like the scene from the action movie and the captions were quite imaginative. While only few people knew the truth behind the picture, some of the users came close with their guesses.

Feeling energized by the general attitude of the Internet, Kim snapped a selfie of herself in the hospital bed. She had to do it sideways so her bruised left side was not too visible. It came out looking fine, if a little unflattering. She posted it with a caption "Thank you for your kind words and prayers! Finally awake and on the way to recovery!"

She turned her devices off feeling like she could try to sleep now without fear and memories overwhelming her. It was almost three o'clock in the morning and she was almost asleep, when she felt someone come in. She looked up and saw Jack tip-toeing to her bed. He saw her looking and whispered, "I saw you were awake. Mind if I join you?"

She nodded her head and Jack climbed in with her. They settled in, Jack spooning her, and he once again whispered, "I got used to sleeping with you in the room. Feels weird without you..."

"I am glad you are here. I could not sleep either, though it was more that the memories were getting to me before..." Kim confessed.

Jack kissed the side of her head and they lay like this until they both fell asleep.

That night the nightmares stayed at bay.

* * *

Kickforthewin: reposted picture from at blackbeltkimc. _hooray, Kim is awake! now we can expect more pics from our couple._

 ** _HollywoodLife: Kim Crawford Is Escorted Home with the Best Entourage_**

 _Kim Crawford, who recently made news because the car accident she has been in, was seen being taken home after a week long stay in the hospital. According to official records, the young celebrity had several injuries - concussion and broken bones - that require some therapy. It is a good thing that she has wiling helpers by her side. As you can see, her boyfriend, Jack Brewer, and a close friend of the couple, Ricky Weaver (whose lead single from his latest album is topping the charts) were both on hand to help her. It goes without saying that her father, Bobby Wasabi, was there as well. Rumor has it that Kim has auditioned for a part in the same project that would star her boyfriend. If it ids true, then the young black belt is a shoe in: she has karate in her genetic make-up (she is a black belt) and she would have tons of chemistry with the main lead._

* * *

The school year was almost over. Doctor's predicted that Kim's recovery would take up to two months. There was fear of the potential consequences from the concussion and she was told to stay away from any strenuous activity, but especially anything that would involve a potential hit to a head. She had to stop cheer-leading, gymnastics and even karate while she recovered. Since she was still healing from the broken bones in her wrists, it was virtually impossible for her to go back to school. In a way, Bobby's cover story of the private tutors came true. Kim had private tutors to help her keep up with the school and tests. She missed all of the athletics, but with Jack and Jeremy sitting on top of her, she would not have been able to do anything without either of them knowing.

This was a new development. Bobby, still feeling tremendous guilt over the deception hat lead to Leona's decision to target Kim, hired Jeremy as her personal bodyguard. Kim felt ridiculous. As far as she was concerned the danger has passed and no one was threatening her anymore, but Bobby had full support of her dad and Jack, and she herself did not mind Jeremy anymore. He became a friend. She figured that part of the reason Bobby hired him was that while Jeremy was convalescing he was not exactly gainfully employed. This way he had a paycheck and Kim had company, when her family or Jack were out.

Ricky has spent enough time with her and Jack and she expected a full Kicky storm again, but somehow the accident and the stories out there about Jack's devotion and Ricky's unwavering support of him essentially put the end to that particular rumor. In fact, it stopped most of speculation about Jack and Ricky. There were some, who still imagined that the two young men were more than friends, but now there were more of the bromance stories about them. The picture of the two of them in the waiting room was very popular and popped up again and again.

Kim finally gave Ricky Caitlyn's music to listen to. While most of it was forgettable and generic, one song did stand out to both Kim and Ricky. It was darkly romantic in a way that Ricky was not quiet sure suited him, but he promised to give it another listen. Kim herself was humming it to herself several times that day, until Ricky just played the guitar as an accompaniment and Kim sang it.

 _With my own hand I'll cover your heart. Fly away, don't be afraid._

 _But your heart is two-faced: it's made of stone, but covered in suede._

Kim had to wonder what sort of heartache Caitlyn went through to write such lyrics. The song - that she and Ricky dubbed Black Moon - was presented with just an acoustic guitar, but Ricky had a feeling it would be much better with a harder, rock sound. Kim was happy to have done something that she promised the young girl. Caitlyn was attending the dojo and slowly made friends there. She came to visit Kim once and Jack was on the edge the entire time the girl was there. Later he told Kim that it was Caitlyn's blabbing that lead both Eric and Leona to follow Kim to LA.

That ended up being an interesting conversation. Jack and Ricky teaming up with Eric to create a cover story for Kim's disappearance. She could not bring herself to forgive Eric just yet, but she was willing to withhold any hostilities towards him.

* * *

She and Jack both got calls from the studio.

Jack, as the star of the show, was expected to come to start filming the pilot. Jack was excited and anxious. Being the star of his own show was a great responsibility and a great opportunity. Jack was unsure he had in him to lead the entire show by himself. Of course, Kim was certain that Jack was the most talented and awesome person ever and they ended up having a fairly hot and heavy make-out after that particular conversation.

Kim, on the other hand, was confirmed for a small, recurring role of Jo, tough girl from the rough part of town and an old acquaintance of the main character. She did not have the same schedule for filming as Jack, but she would be in a pilot as part of the setup for the story.

* * *

It was one month after the accident and school was officially over for the summer. Kim's and Jack's hands healed and Jack's cast was off. They came to LA for filming and Kim met the girl, who would play Lena, Caleb's love interest. Jamie was a tall brunette, a total glamazon, statuesque and gorgeous. Kim felt a bit insecure, but she never cowered away before, so she wouldn't do it now. And really, she didn't have to worry. Jaimie was cool and, though fairly graceful (she took ballet), she was no match to Jack or Kim on the mats. If Kim was gloating a little, she never told anyone.

She was done with the filming, but had some time before she and Jack would go back to Seaford. She arranged to visit Ricky, who was preparing for a tour and had a few free days. Gone were the days when Jack seethed with jealousy and Kim felt free to be seen with Ricky without the rumor mill going off. Jeremy, who was already fully recovered, went with her everywhere - taciturn and imposing.

She met Ricky at the studio. He had a surprise for her. His band recorded the new track based on Caitlyn's song Black Moon and Ricky wanted her to record it. It was unexpected, but Ricky said it would be a demo version to be shopped around for someone else to record. Kim, her dream of singing still there, ran with this chance and the Black Moon was recorded with only few takes.

Later, she spent another lazy day with Ricky and his band crushing them in Mario Karts.

She just run Ricky off and declared a victory, when Jack called exhausted from the day of filming. They chatted a little and arranged to meet at the hotel for dinner. She said her 'I love you', when she saw Ricky looking at her. She was taken aback a little. She thought they firmly moved into friends territory and she was not expecting any more awkwardness.

"Oh, hey there. Jack says hi," she said casually.

"How is he? How's filming?" Ricky was casual and friendly as well.

"Tired, but excited. I am too. He deserves it."

"He does. He is... great. Great guy, great boyfriend..."

"Ricky, what..."

"No, let me finish... I was there, when he went to get you... While he never told me what exactly happened there, I know he jumped into the hailstorm of bullets for you... And you endured all the public curiosity and negativity for him... Even took on a villain... What I am trying to say, and what I already told Jack, is that such feelings are rare and you two deserve each other. I only hope to find something like this myself."

With that Ricky left to join his friends back at the gaming rooms and Kim was left marvelling at the amazing ways her life changed.

When she and Jack were back at the hotel after dinner, she was extra generous with her attentions to Jack. He responded eagely enough, but soon put on brakes on their activities. This was a recurring theme to all their make-outs. Jack was frustratingly gentle and behaved like she didn't not have anything below the waist.

Finally fed up, Kim just blurted out, "what is going on, Jack? Why are you stopping?"

Jack sighed and sat back resting against the headboard.

"Kim, you were hurt so much... You did not see yourself, but you were black and blue... And then you fainted. I carried you and thought you weighed nothing... And then you slept for forever. Doctors said it's because you hurt your head. You can't stress yourself out or you'll make it worse."

"Jack, this is hardly stressful. In fact, quite the opposite. Come on, I know you want it." Kim settled into his side and slid one leg over his, while resting the hand on his chest. She was playing with the hem of his shirt, when Jack out his hand on hers stopping her.

"I do, very much. But I want you to be OK even more. Please, Kim, let's wait until doctors clear you for all normal activities. For me..." Jack added with a very earnest and tender expression and Kim was powerless against it.

She suspected that he went through some hard times while she was away and in coma and he coped with it by babying her. She took it in stride, but eventually, the independent girl that used mattress springs as brass knuckles would rise and rebel against it, and she hoped that Jack would be ready for it then.

One more month, she reminded herslef. One more month...


	34. Chapter 34

The month of July was the busiest Kim's been in a long time. The pilot was seen by the network executives and additional six episodes were ordered. Jack was ecstatic and very busy. Kim showed up several time as well to shoot her scenes, which were far fewer than Jack's. He was on the set a lot and Kim was visiting every now and then, but she had her own schedule to keep. She made regular doctor visits to make sure everything was fine and was slowly increasing the physical activity levels.

The demo tape of the Black Moon was shopped around, but there were no takers yet. Kim was not disappointed exactly. Now that she had an acting job, she wanted to focus on that, but the pipe dream of being a singer was still very much alive and she felt sorry for Caitlyn, who was looking forward to hearing her song on airwaves.

Because of Jack's filming schedule they were apart a lot. She could tell that Jack was missing her, them together, quite a lot. She missed him too. If she thought him keeping things PG was frustrating, him not being with her at all was even more frustrating. But there were some good things to come from their separation: she could tell that Jack was getting more and more comfortable with their old levels of intimacy.

Bobby had embraced the role of the honorary father whole-heartedly and she could always rely on him to take her to LA if needed. She also got to see Ricky concert and she was impressed anew by his popularity and skills as an entertainer. Ricky was interacting with his fans, answering questions he got earlier on his Twitter account and one of the fans wanted to know if Ricky still saw her and Jack regularly. Ricky was all too eager to point out that she was in the audience and brought her onstage. The crowd cheered her and she was surprised: she have expected to be booed, but the fans were amazing and she was overwhelmed by the energy and excitement.

* * *

 ** _WeaverWorld dot com:_**

 _Here are pictures from the latest concert. RW brought his friend onstage. We already knew that Kim Crawford recovered from her injuries, but it is nice to see her doing so well. She was there last night to support her friend._

rw4ever: _I heard that RW will be on that new show too._

weavermagic: _where did you hear that?_

rw4ever: _just some chatter. If I were that show's producer, I'd ask RW to come. boost in ratings and whatnot..._

caitweaver: _it would be great. although I think I'd watch it anyway. mb they can get him to sing a theme song or smth..._

 _ **HollywoodLife:** _

_Rumor has it that the pilot of the show with Jack Brewer - working title Bridge Crossing - in lead has screened well with producers and the test audience. We don't know if it was picked up for the whole season, but we hope to see more of this young star on screen. His real life girlfriend, Kim Crawford, has been confirmed as one of the actors on the show as well. Here are some pictures from the set. We expect to see these young actors at the Teen Choice Awards, where Jack was nominated in the Favorite Male Buttkicker category._

jbgirl: _yes, the show will be awesome. I can't wait!_

bbelt: _yeah, I saw on the **Kickforthewin** that Kim was on the set too. although she is not his love interest._

jbgirl: _it's probably better that way._

* * *

It was August already and Jack was finally done with the shooting for now. They had to wait and see whether the show would do well in ratings before any more filming would be done. Before they could relax though, Teen Choice Awards were approaching fast and both Jack and Bobby were attending. She, of course, was coming with Jack. Kim was glad that her first red carpet would be a more casual affair. She could not imagine that kind of pressure it would be to come to a more serious event. She did not have a stylist, but Bobby was wiling to pay for any gown she wanted and she was grateful to have an unlimited budget. Never too girly, she nonetheless knew the power of great dress and first impressions. In the end, she went with a more youthful look of a glamorous version of cropped top and high-waist dressy shorts. Coupled with high heels, it was fancy enough for the awards, but also true to her more athletic sensibilities.

Kim did not know what to expect of the awards, but the red carpet was exhausting with flashes going off and people shouting at her to turn this way and that. She, Jack and Bobby made a bit of a commotion on the carpet and every photographer wanted the picture of the two of them or her and Bobby. It became even more chaotic, when Ricky stepped on the carpet and the four of them converged. At some point Kim was sure she would be blind from all the camera flashes. By the time they got inside she was so tired and her head hurt a little. Apparently too much of bright lights was enough for her still sensitive eyes. They were seated next to Bobby and he was enjoying himself tremendously.

Everything afterwards was kind of a blur. Categories announced, presenters making jokes, winners getting doused in slime. It was fun and Kim laughed so hard, when Ricky got his share of slime.

Then it was the Male Buttkicker category and Bobby was magnificent. His brand of over the top diction and imperious delivery was unintentionally (or maybe intentionally) funny and when he announced Jack's name the camera panned on Jack and Kim and she had another moment of dissonance like the last time she saw herself on giant screen. They looked good, she would admit. Jack had a sheepish smile and she turned to him and squeezed his hand.

Bobby paused to open the envelope and then dramatically said, "And the winner is Jack Brewer."

There was a thunderous applause and Jack turned to her with disbelieving eyes. Kim smiled broadly, "Congrats, babe. You deserve it."

He picked their joined hands an kissed her fingers. At that point there was a collective "Aww" in the audience and Bobby exclaimed, "Come here, son!" which caused even more "awws" and applause.

* * *

They were back at the hotel and Jeremy wisely left her alone earlier in the evening. Jack was relaxed, smiling, and could not keep his hands off of her. He kept smoothing his hands over her exposed legs and the small of her back. She smiled to herself: that fire that was always between them flared again and she hoped that tonight he wouldn't stop himself. They danced a little while she sang and Jack was pulling her close. They stumbled a little and knocked one of the half full glasses of soda. Jack mumbled 'sorry' looking around for something to mop it with.

She took his hand, pulling it away from the counter, tugging him along behind her. He went with a backwards glance - what a mess - and then Kim was backing him into a wall in the living room, pulling him close. Their hips were touching, their chests, they were kissing before he understood fully what was going on. He was already eager and had a moment of hesitation, but Kim didn't stop kissing him even when she jumped a little to wrap her legs around his waist, and he groaned.

He' was always a little surprised that holding her weight was so easy. Kim was always so full of life, energy, attitude, that he forgot sometimes that she was smaller, shorter and light. His hips moved of their own accord, pushing against her, seeking out friction and pressure, the warmth of her body. He curled around her, face pressed to her neck. She bit his earlobe, tongue flicking against it.

"Got me?" she asked in his ear, and he nodded into her skin, feeling her pulse against his lips. "Bedroom?"

He leaned back, wondering if she meant what he thought she meant, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, shifting so that he was actually holding all her weight. It's not difficult to carry her, not at all, with his arms around her and her thighs flexing against his hips. When they reached the bedroom he sat down with her in his lap and fell backwards, arms full of giggling Kim. He joined her, but his laughter was short-lived, cut off by a groan as she rolled her body against his.

For a while they just kiss. They have been apart from each other and he missed kissing her like this. Deep, wet kisses, straying to the corners of his mouth, to his cheek, her beautiful throat, the dip between her clavicles just visible above her clothes. He shivered when her hand comes up to brush his hair away, and she was easing back and tugging on his t-shirt until he sat with her in his lap again.

She put her hands on his guiding his hands to the hem of the top. He tugged it up and off. She was wearing a tight yellow bra underneath that matched the yellow of her outfit. It was lacy and her nipples were visible and Jack hasn't been more turned on in his _life_. She pulled the bra off and he just looked at her, the slight ridge of her ribcage, her breasts, her face.

He rested a palm on her waist, bare warm skin, sliding it up past her breasts to her throat, his other pressed over her heart. He wanted to take it slow. They haven't been together like this in a while and she was hurt before and he just wanted to remember it all again, when there were no dangers or urgency. She leaned back a little, looking at him thoughtfully, and, as if reading his mind, she slowed her movements and let him have this moment.

"You have no idea how much I missed you all this time. You, your voice, your body, your everything... Every time you are away I am afraid you won't be back with me..." he said it all without thinking, spreading his other hand wide, thumb stroking the side of her breast. Her skin was impossibly soft and smooth, nipple taut and firm when the edge of his thumb brushed it by accident. She exhaled a soft whine, leaning into it.

It felt amazing to be close to her like this, but it was not enough and he bent forward to press his mouth to her skin, and she shuddered in his arms and turned so that her nipple was pressed to his lips.

"Oh, oh, please" Kim whispered and Jack was hungry for more of these noises.

He took the taut little peak in his mouth and sucked it gently at first and then harder finishing with a little bite. He was rewarded with more of whimpering sounds as she jerked sharply and then pushed him away and began tugging at his shirt, bunching it around his arms. He let go long enough to pull it over his head, and she smoothed her palms over his chest, curling her fingernails against his chest and he felt so good -

Then she kissed the faint red marks and started sliding out of his lap, working her way down, and he should probably be participating but her warm, damp tongue is slicking the the creases of his abs, and he couldn't think much beyond _Oh, wow._

She already worked the belt and zipper opened and just tugged at the waistband and tapped the side of his thigh to make him shift his hips. When he lifted, she pulled it all down and off in one swift movement, and he was naked. In bed, with Kim, and no one around to stop them.

" _Oh God!_ " he heard himself say, when she sucked the head of his dick into her mouth. "Oh, my god, Kim - "

She looked up at him, mouth working against his skin, hot and tight and shifting against him, sparks flaring along his nerves. She was so beautiful and he had no idea what to do with this except try to breathe and try not to come.

She leaned back, and the cold air after her mouth is a shock. Before she could back to that amazing blow job, he pulled her up and twisted them around so that she was underneath him. Her hands moved over him, leaving tiny spots of awareness buzzing behind. He leaned over her kissing her hard with aggression and passion. She moaned around his tongue and it was so hot. He trailed deep biting kisses all over her neck and chest, going lower and lower until be reached the waistband of her shorts. He took them off to find positively indecent yellow lacy thongs and he kissed her right over the lacy front. Kim mewled again and it was that familiar sound that made him harder than before. He pulled the panties down and dropped them somewhere behind him.

"Don't move," he ordered, and kissed her thigh, and then dove for her, sweeping his tongue and flicking it at the clit. She gasped and clung to the bed, trying not to move too much and unable to stay still. Jack dropped his one hand over her hips keeping them pinned down to the bed and took his time with her. "So delicious. I missed this the most. I am the only who gets the to see you like this. You're always beautiful, but your are a gorgeous when you are like this. For me, for my eyes only..." Jack whispered hotly against her and the vibrations, as well as heated words, were bringing her closer to climax.

"Please," she groaned, stomach flexing with the effort of keeping still. "Please, Jack, please - "

Jack sucked at her clit again and gently moved two fingers in her, curling them and flicking his tongue again. She bucked harder and dug her fingers into his hair, keeping him right there, "oh, oh, right there, yeeeesssss, oh..." He was so turned on be practically growled into her and she jerked and the fluttering inside her grew stronger, until she clamped down on his fingers like a silk vise.

His whole body was buzzing with awareness, every nerve on end, but his eyes were on her face, the way her eyelashes swept her cheek, the way her mouth fell open when he curled his fingers. She made soft pleased noises, sensual little moans that could be his favorite ring tone if he could get away with it.

Eventually she pushed at his wrist and he drew away carefully, his hand sticky. She stretched up and toward the bedside table, the movement bringing her chest up and he tried to catch her one breast in his mouth again... but then he saw what she had in her hand. Oh...

Kim looked at him with dark eyes, pupils still blown back from her recent orgasm, and she whispered, "I love you, Jack. I want this with you. Do you?"

Jack could only nod in response, the power of speech stolen from him at the moment. She opened the little packet, and she pressed it lightly to the crown of his cock and rolled it down, fingers sweeping over hot, sensitive skin. She wrapped a hand around his shaft to be sure it's settled, and the anticipation of what was about to come made this moment erotic, not awkward.

She settled down on the bed and when he dropped back on elbows to kiss her, she pulled him on top of her, his erection heavy and hot trapped between their bodies.

Her hand was between them, guiding him, and _oh_ , the warm clutch of her body around him. He had to stop moving because it was blinding, this feeling.

Then she lifted her hips a little, back arching, breasts pushing up and he bucked without meaning to, body colliding with hers. He felt it then, that thin barrier that he broke through and even if didn't know what it was, Kim's reactions were very telling. She froze, eyes huge and mouth slightly opened in a pained exhale.

"Sorry, sorry I - " he gasped, and she just closed her eyes and breathed through her nose several times. She was so tight, so hot, the sensation almost threatening to overwhelm him. He needed a distraction, so he focused on her hair, so golden in the muted light of the nightlight, her lashes, so dark and long like thousand of arrows, her lips, trembling and pink. He kissed her then, not in passion, but in reverence for what she was giving him, what it meant for them, what it truly was - a declaration of love and of intent to be with him.

"I love you, I love you, I love you..." He mumbled as he kissed her face when she finally unfroze and looked at him, he whispered, "I am sorry..."

"Don't be sorry," she said pulling his lips down to hers, "Do it again."

His hips thrust desperately - a hot slide in, a tight pull out - and she moaned. Every move lit up his body, made him aware of her fingernails digging into his shoulders and her heels pressing on his thighs. She moved with him in a slow rhythm and he followed it, natural, easier than he'd thought this could possibly be. He had to kiss her, could not possibly _not_ kiss her as he rocked into her - beautiful, competent, fearless Kim. All his. Miraculously, his. There was nobody he'd rather fight alongside, nobody he'd rather share this with, nobody he'd rather learn this new art of loving with.

Her hand creeped between their bodies again and he pushed it aside, fingers sliding down to stroke her, propping himself on one elbow so he could touch her and fuck her and kiss her. Just as he felt that fluttering again and he knew she was close, his orgasm took him by surprise. He's been sliding along the edge of it for so long. His head dropped to her neck and he bit it in an effort to keep the noises down. He shuddered against her body, coming so hard he couldn't breathe, couldn't hear anything behind the roar of blood in his ears. And just when he thought it was over, Kim's walls clamped on him and he nearly chocked on a surprise moan, because it was unbelievably good and almost painful feeling.

He was aware he was heavy on top of her, and when he could move he rolled to the side, clumsy and dazed in the afterglow. The rubber started to slip off and he tugged at it, then tried to figure out what to do with it before finding a trash can on the other side of the bed. When he turned, Kim was smiling at him.

He took her in: messy hair, flushed skin, definite bite marks, slightly glassy look to her eyes. and slightly pink marks on her thighs. He stood up, catching himself when his knees almost buckled under him and went to the bathroom to grab a towel. He came back and cleaned her up, feeling kind of proud to be taking care of her now.

"Definitely a gold star," she murmured, while he wiped himself off and crawled back to bed. He pulled her against him and nosed into her hair, and she went to him stiffily, fitting her body against his. They were both slick with sweat and a little sticky.

"Thank you," he said. "I... I love you."

"You're welcome and I love you too," she answered, hardly more than a sigh. "Sleep now, kay?"

"Okay," he agreed, because that did sound tempting, and for the first time since Kim woke up from the coma, he felt content with the world. He felt like he never wanted to move again.


	35. Chapter 35

A/N: so, apparently now that they are not in danger, Kick wants some lemons. I am hiding right now, embarrassed by own imagination.

When Jack opened his eyes, the sun was already well up in the sky, shining through the wide glass windows and striping the bed with light. Kim was curled up with him still; she was tucked under his arm, huddled against his body.

She woke when he shifted. She made an abortive move to get up, but she tensed up and just raised her chin to rest on the ball of his shoulder and smiled.

"What? Do I have a terrible bed hair?" She said pouting a little.

"No, just making sure it was not a dream. And you look beautiful."

Kim smiled at him softly and ran her hand over his chest.

"I need a shower, but I am too sore to move," she said.

"Oh, right." Jack sprang from bed and rushed to the bathroom to start a bath, feeling both smug and sorry for causing her this discomfort. When he came back, Kim was staring at him unabashedly and he realized that they slept naked last night and Kim was checking him out. Her gaze was as physical as any touch and he could feel himself getting harder under it.

"Kim," he said in warning, "you are still sore..."

"I know, I know. But I am also turned on. I mean look at you..." she said and then blushed hotly, the pink spreading all over her cheeks, and she averted her eyes.

It was amazing that she could still blush like this after everything they've done together. He climbed in bed with her and hugged her to him, kissing her blushing cheeks.

"I know how you feel. I want you so much already, but you are sore and I want to take care of you." He kissed her on the nose and picked her up and took his cargo to the bathroom.

Once there, Kim lowered herself into the warm water wincing and pulling faces. Jack was a little dismayed that she was in so much discomfort and it must have showed on his face, because she sighed and pulled him for a deep kiss - morning breath be damned.

"Jack, you didn't do anything I did not want myself... And the way I understand it, it's inevitable the first time anyway. I hear, it gets only better from here..." she whispered the last part against his ear and he shivered at that. White hot _want_ laced through him and he had to step away from her, the temptress.

"Kimberly Crawford! You are so bad! Stay there and think pure thoughts. I'll get us some breakfast." He stepped out hearing her tinkling laughter behind.

He was so lucky.

* * *

They left for Seaford with Bobby and Jeremy in Bobby's limo. Both older men had been a little awkward around the teens and Kim realized to her horror that they figured something about last night. She was embarrassed and mortified and tried to avoid looking at either of them. It went on like this for a good hour, until finally Jack just sighed and said, "Look, you guys, Kim and I are adults. Her dad and Rudy already had shovel talk with me, so... Leave off, OK?"

Jeremy had a startled look on his face and then said quietly, "You right, Jack. I have no rights to even have an opinion, but... But you are good for her and I'll leave at that."

Bobby was silent for a while, deep in thought, and then nodded his head, "Yes, Jeremy is right. Besides, I don't have to threaten you. Kim would do a much better job than me anyway. I want you two to be happy. Just don't make me a honorary grandfather too soon."

Kim squawked at that and Jack had the most horrified expression on his face that made both men burst out in laughter.

The remainder of the journey to Seaford was a much more relaxed affair.

The rest of the summer break was like an extended honey moon for Kim and Jack.

There were no more threats. Kim was fully recovered and returned to her volunteering work, which she honestly missed. She had to make adjustments to that, of course. Hospital duties were harder to do now that she was more well-known. People recognized her and were distracted by her celebrity. She was left to a lot of desk and filing duties, which were no as much fun, but allowed for anonymity and Jeremy could trail her around without being conspicuous. She and he developed a routine. He would do the perimeter checks of any place she planned to stay for an extended period of time and then would leave until it was time for her to go.

Animal shelter was still a lot of fun and Kevin was counting on Jeremy and his muscle to help out with some of the more difficult rescue animals.

Of course, the best part of the summer break was the fact that Jack was around now and they fully enjoyed their newfound sexual intimacy. It was another unspoken agreement with Jeremy, but he would drop off for periods of time, vaguely stating that he would be around, and then Kim and Jack would be alone together.

Since Eric abandoned following Kim around, there were significantly less stories about her in various online gossip publications. However, there were a lot more of the candid pics taken of her by random people and posted online. That amount could easily be doubled if she was with Jack. She came to expect it and made sure that at least her hair was done at all times. If that could not be helped (kissing Jack was an all body experience and she often ended up with messy hair), she learned to carry beanie hats and hair elastics. She stopped trying to look always nice and fell back into her usual style of skinny jeans and layered tops. Hoodies and oversized sunglasses were her friends. Her casual style, that she adopted because of her athletic activities, seemed to resonate with her followers and she was featured once in one of those articles that discussed her signature (!) style. It was all still bizarre to her, but was fun nonetheless.

It came to a stop, when Jack was called back by the studio: they wanted to re-shoot some of the scenes and he had to be there for a week or two.

Somehow the separation now was harder than before. Kim thought it was because they were worry-free for the last four weeks and because they were so close together now. The night before he had to leave, Jack scaled the walls of her house again and they spent a good portion of the night saying goodbye in the most intimate of ways. It was so soft and gentle and laced with ready sorrow that she was actually teary by the time she climaxed.

* * *

Jack was gone for a week already and Kim was restless. She missed him terribly and the phone conversations were not the same. Although on one memorable occasion they ended up having a phone sex and she was relieved (she was frustrated) and a little shy about it. That Jack and her had great compatibility was not a surprise for her. What surprised her was the level of sexual drive she herself had. She chucked it up to being young and in love, and because Jack was very-very hot.

She was in her room checking her phone for any new messages from Jack, when she heard the familiar thwacking noise. Was he here? She ran to the window to see him in her backyard again and she could not stop the wide smile splitting her face. When he got in, she pulled him into a fierce hug and whispered into his chest, "One day you are going to fall doing this."

His answering words were spoken softly into the crown of hair on top of her head, "Well, either that or your dad with a shotgun. Still worth it though."

She laughed and pulled back to look at him, "You are here... How are you here?"

He took her face in his hands and told her with an intensity that she came to associate with Jack being overprotective or possessive. "I missed you so much, I could not sleep. I had this dreams again, where I could not find you or you were out of reach and I just... I missed you."

She knew of those dreams. He told her once that when she was gone he was plagued by nightmares and had to work himself to exhaustion to get any sleep. She rose on her toes and kissed him softly. Sometimes Jack needed this physical reassurances more than any words. He responded eagerly, greedily, plunging into her mouth and sucking at her tongue. He pulled her close to himself and it was tight enough that she could barely breath, but she kept up with him. He was obviously frustrated that she was shorter than him and he simply lifted her and dragged her to the bed.

She was standing on the bed with him on the floor and in this position she was eye to eye with him. She pulled back to get some air and his clever hands were already working the top of her PJs off. She stepped back and when he looked up at her confused, she just said, "You are wearing too much clothes."

His eyes darkened and he did that thing where he grabbed the back of his shirt and simply pulled it of in one move. Only now she realized that he must have come straight from the set.

He was in his Caleb make-up, which came with tattoos and scars. She sucked in air when she glanced over the temporary ink on his body, her hands suddenly moving over the scared chest and tracing the tattoos. Completely and utterly obsessed with feeling his chest she followed her hands with her lips and she could sense him tensing under her touch. Her hands dropped to his jeans, her fingers sliding the button out and then tugging the zipper down. Jack took over at this point and she watched, fascinated as he pulled them off his legs, showing more scars and tattoos.

"Oh my god." she whispered as he straightened, her eyes focused solely between his legs. She couldn't take her eyes off him. Just stared, biting her lower lip once again.

She heard him curse softly and she didn't really register the moment he moved, but she was suddenly on her back on the bed.

"Jack," she gasped, her hands touching his shoulders as he roughly shoved her legs apart and he moved between them. He was different right now, more aggressive and she could not decide whether it was because of the separation or if he always was like this and just kept himself in check.

He didn't respond, just dipped his head and kissed her again. It was urgent and hard.

She arched into him, moaning as his lips slid from her lips, moving over her jaw to her neck, sucking on a section of skin and then moving to her breasts. Reaching for him, she whimpered when he caught her hands and stretched them above her head.

"Hold on. Don't touch me yet." he whispered harshly.

She blindly curled her hands around the blanket. She blinked to clear her vision, watching him with a dazed expression. As for his expression, she had never seen him look like it. The intense, savage look sent a shiver racing down her spine.

His head lowered again over her breasts, and she arched towards his mouth, dying to feel his lips on her. His gaze lifted to hers in the dim light as his tongue flicked out to lick over the stiff peak of her nipple.

She could see the naked lust in his eyes, and pleasure tore through her when he covered her whole nipple. His big hands covered both her breasts, the nipple not covered by his mouth now being rolled between his thumb and forefinger.

He moved between both nipples, laving each with his tongue, ranking them with his teeth, only to come back and suck at them firmly, one by one, until she felt as if she was going to come from this intense sensation alone.

"Beautiful," he breathed against her skin.

"Jack." the pleasure grew, wrapping around her until she knew she wouldn't be able to stand much more. She was desperate for release.

"I want to taste you again," he said in a low voice. She didn't even take into account that what he had said, just dumbly nodded her head. Arching her back, she lifted herself closer to his lips as he began a trail down her abdomen.

As Jack lifted himself between her legs, his hands parting her legs more and lifting them until her knees bent, Kim could only watch in fascination. Her breathing was nearly impossible as he watched her, tilting his head to the side as he measured her reactions.

His fingers trailed over her thighs, feathering over the lips as she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. His thumb rasped over her clit and she jerked in total pleasure.

God, she needed an orgasm, needed the release so desperately she was close to begging.

He bent his head, his tongue swiping through the drenched slit of her pussy. Her hips violently arched and a cry tore from her lips.

"Fuck, I missed this," he voice was strained, his breath hot against the damp flesh between her spread thighs.

His tongue licked over her, teasing the hard bundle of nerves before going lower. Wicked, knowing licks, he probed at the sensitive entrance of her vagina, his tongue flickering over it as she lifted her hips to him.

"Oh, Jack, please." she whispered, her hips moving against his mouth. Her hands flew from his bed head, latching onto his hair, pulling him closer to her body.

She heard him mutter something, a husky, deep sexy sound before his lips covered her aching nub, sucking it into his mouth as his tongue licked it with a a solid rhythm. The sound that escaped her when two fingers began to work deep inside the pulsing heat of her pussy, was indecent.

Pleasure exploded throughout her body, white heat flashed through her body electrifying everything in its wake, and seconds later the orgasm that tore through her body pushed her over the edge.

Opening her eyes, she met his and blushed deeply. "Don't be shy now. You are so gorgeous like this. I want more of this every day..."

She reached for him and he met her half way. Her legs were already wrapping around his waist and she tried to take him in hand, the other hand searching the nightstand for condom, but he swatted her hand away. "I am afraid I'll explode if you touch me now, Kim... I... I can't be gentle right now... Kim..." He almost pleaded with her. She could feel herself getting wetter and throbbing again at his words. She was nodding her head and he was rolling a condom onto himself already.

"Please, Jack. I want you. Oh god, now…"

She nearly screamed at the penetration. It was hard. It was fast. In one stroke, he filled her, sliding deep and stilling. Coming over her, his arms tucked under her shoulders, his elbows holding a majority of his weight from her, he looked almost in pain with veins and sinew of his neck visible as he held himself still. Finally, he began to move against her.

"You feel so good, Kim. I want to be here always. I want to fuck a place for myself in you" the harshness of his voice was filled with pleasure and it had her breath lodging in her chest.

"Jack, oh, oh, Jack." her fingers scrambled to hold onto his shoulders as her legs wrapped around his pounding hips, locking against the small of his back as he drove her to insanity with the pleasure zapping through her.

"So sweet and tight" he crooned as his head lowered to her neck. "I could fuck you forever." his voice was guttural, throbbing with lust.

The strong rhythm was almost too much to contain. Explosions of nearing orgasm began to ripple through her body and Jack's rough groan told her that he could feel it too.

"Kim. Come for me, please..." he nipped her neck, beginning to move faster, impossibly deeper.

Kim felt the sensations of a strong orgasm splinter through her, stronger, harder then any other orgasm. She couldn't scream, had no breath to scream, no strength to fight the rolling explosions tearing through her as she heard Jack's harsh, brutal _fuck_ fill the room.

He tensed above her, thrusting deep one last time, before she felt the convulsive throb of his cock inside her.

Her heart clenched as he fell against her, not strong to hold himself up, but still placing sloppy kisses wherever be could reach.

"I love you. I missed you too..." Kim whispered to him and he returned the sentiment with a softest of kisses back.


	36. Chapter 36

**_WeaverWorld dot com_**

 _Ricky visits friend on set_

 _RW was spotted on set of pal Jack Brewer's new show, Bridge Crossing. RW and his friend were seen hanging out with other actors on set. Check out the picture gallery._

rw4ever: _see, I told you he would be on the show!_

weavermagic: _mb just a visit? where is kim?_

caitweaver: _she is in Seaford. I saw her at the dojo. her dad was there too._

* * *

 **Kickforthewin:** [picture of JB from the set.] _Check out the tats and abs. So hot!_

jbgirl: _I can't! omg, look at that! bad boy Brewer!_

bbelt: _I know... how does Kim function around all this? I'd be a drooling mess all the time._

* * *

After Jack's surprise visit, and his hasty return to the set, things suddenly sped up again.

The network wanted promotional posters and Kim was scheduled to go back to LA for a photo shoot. This was a good news, because she would be reunited with Jack and they would not have to sneak around to spend more time together. Now that the buzz about the show was picking up steam, she was asked a lot by fans and followers about the show and she found herself spending more time on social media. She was contacted by the network's PR team and they had one of the most interesting conversation in her memory. It was all about the spin and image and promotion of certain aesthetic. It was fascinating only because it would have helped when Kim was trying to ditch the love triangle rumors, but now it felt unnecessary. They did not outright ask her to lie or conceal anything, but it was understood that they wanted her to fall in line with their ideas for the show promotion.

She was still mulling that conversation in her head, when she was contacted by Bobby. It seemed that his recent showing at the award and general popularity because of the father-daughter rumors, generated some serious interest and he was being interviewed for one of the martial arts specialty publications. He wanted to clear with Kim what she would be comfortable with. Of course, the magazine would die for pictures of the two of them, but Bobby was circumspect and did not want to interfere with Kim's life any more than he already had. It was nice of him and the timing of the call was almost serendipitous, because Kim already had conversation with the network about the show promotion. Interview with Bobby, even if she was not present, would necessarily involve questions about her, her boyfriend and their TV-show...

Part of her wanted nothing to do with the promotion of the show through her personal social media. It was not meant for that and she really wanted to keep its focus as it was before: volunteer work, cheerleading and karate. But she also understood that that life was not possible for much longer. She was not just a no-name associated with the rich and famous anymore. Somehow, in the last several months her life became so different and she herself became recognizable and news-worthy. Moreover, she was now an actress with a legitimate job and wasn't promotion part of any actor's job? And if she agreed with this notion, then how much of her life would she want to be affected by this promotional duties? She wrestled with this again and again, seemingly with no solution in sight.

She was scheduled to come to LA in one week's time and she decided to talk to Jack then. Bobby's interview would involve him as well. It would be fair if they hashed it out.

When Kim arrived on the set to meet Jack before the photo shoot, she was immediately dragged to the producers. She barely had time to squeak _hi_ to others and was suddenly in front of the producers and the creative director. There was a woman sitting there as well, whom Kim have not met before.

"Uhm... Hello everyone. How can I help you?" she stuttered out quickly. See, good manners would always save the day.

"Yes, Kim, please meet Angela Weber. She is our PR person for the show from the network."

"You've talked to one of my employees. Nice to meet you, Kim." The woman was sharply dressed and had a look of being a ball-buster.

Kim nodded to that. Right, so this was about the spin. OK.

"First of all, show matters. We heard that song by you - Black Moon was it? - and we want to use it for the opening credits of the show. We need to know who wrote it, who recorded, everything." The creative director said with a pen ready.

Kim needed a second to process that... How? How did they get their hands on it?

She did not realize she said it out loud, because one of the producers said, "Jack played it on set and we overheard. It's moody and dark, and has a hard edge to it. We like it. It would suit the show."

Jack played it on set? Oh, that was sweet. He played her song to himself... Kim was momentarily taken with the romanticism of it. Seeing everyone's expectant faces, she shook her head to clear the mushy thoughts out of it. Right, the song...

"It is just a demo. The song-writer is relatively new to this. She gave me this song and I recorded it with Ricky's band for the demo."

"And you have no contract with any particular label right now?"

Kim just shook her head.

There was some sort of conversation going on between the producers involving hushed words like contract, records, its better that way. Finally they turned to her and one of them said, "We would need to look at the copyright laws, but I think we can go ahead and approve the song and you as the singer for the opening credits."

He nodded at her once and thee left the room, leaving Kim with Angela.

"Kim, we are in the peculiar situation with the show and your relationship with Jack. On the one hand, its great publicity and you guys already have built in fan base. On the other, you characters are not romantic interests to each other and we don't want your personal relationship to distract from the show."

Kim nodded understanding the situation. "So, what is your solution?"

"Well, for starters, we would like to minimize the amount of scenes you two would have onscreen. We also would like to limit the amount of time you do the promotional stuff together. You are not one of the leads in the show, so it should not be surprising that you are not seen doing this with others. Obviously, what you do in private is your own business. I appreciate that you and Jack have not been very outspoken about the two of you in press or social media."

"So, in other words, I would be invisible in promotional stuff, separated from Jack on set, but otherwise we can continue as we were?"

Angela nodded slowly.

"OK, what about interviews?" At Angela's raised eyebrows Kim added, "Bobby Wasabi was asked for an interview and he fully expects to be asked about me, Jack and the show."

"Bobby is your father, right?"

"More like a celebrity dad. He isn't my father, but the press seems to be convinced that he is. We are good friends and he sometimes likes to play with them and imply that I am his daughter."

"This is going to be in a specialty publication, right?" At Kim's nod, Angela went on, "I think it's OK if he talks about you and the show."

They left at that and Kim was finally free go back to kiss Jack hello.

He and Daniel were in the middle of the fight sequence and Kim sat back quietly to observe. Jamie came up to her and whispered, "Daniel is good, but Jack is so much better. I hear you drop kicked Daniel for your audition."

Kim grinned. "I did, but it wasn't an audition. I was here to visit Jack and Daniel was trash talking. So we sparred and the director saw it. And now, here I am."

"Daniel is an ass and deserves all the butt kicking. Asshole..."

"Oh... Did he try something?"

"He would not dare with others around, but he likes to talk like he is such a player..."

"I can always drop kick him again..."

"Thanks. I might take you on that. You want to hang out sometime? We are, like, the only girls on set. I miss talking about things other than football and fast cars."

Kim grinned at this. She could use a girl friend in LA.

* * *

The photo shoot was another experience that looked glamorous and exciting, but was a lot of weirdness and work up close. Kim was asked to assume strange poses and keep unnatural expressions. Of course, that was not how the photographer directed her. He said things like, l _ook thoughtful, move your shoulder - you are concerned and defensive, slide forward and cross your legs, yes, I need the pout, where is the pout?,_ and so on and so forth. Kim was blind from flashes and completely lost any sensation in her face from all the contortions. She only hoped that it was all worth it.

Jamie had a similar experience, only she was asked to be sweet and then look afraid.

Still, her and Jamie's parts were nothing compared to what Jack had to go through. He was dressed, undressed, and redressed several times. He was asked to pose in a way that accentuated his abs, his arm muscles, he was asked to make several Karate jumps - like the chest strike and dragon kick. The entire time Jack was quietly getting more and more frustrated. Kim could see it easily enough. His eyes hardened, his jaw clenched tight, his fists would flex into fists sporadically. More tellingly, he long ago stopped being easy going and polite. His speech was nothing more than grunts of agreement and sometimes not even that.

It was bad. Last time she saw Jack in such a mood, he ended up dangling from the side of the building, picking fights with actual princes of entire countries and more recently, fighting with Ricky in Bobby's library.

In between the takes, when Jack was asked to get undressed yet again, Kim sidled over to him and helped him with the buttons of his shirt. She made sure to smooth hands over his exposed skin as she did it and she see and hear back taking a large calming breath. He rested his hands on her waist and pressed his chin on her head. She finished the buttons and was pulling the tails of the shirt out, "feeling better?"

"Hardly. But this helps. I wish I could have you with me in these pictures. I am sure I look mad or something." He said softly to her.

"Nah. They want that. Caleb Bridge is a moody, brooding and emotionally stunted SOB. You looking mad would be great." Kim told him wrapping her hands around him.

"Moody, brooding and emotionally stunted? Sounds like a winner. Would you like a guy like that?" He said moving his head and bringing his hands to tilt her face up.

"Well, maybe if he looked like you... And knew how to kiss me... _Everywhere..._ Then maybe," Kim finished with a cheeky grin.

Jack's face changed from a soft smile into a look of complete concentration and intensity and Kim flushed hot at that. He looked like that when they made love.

"You are so bad Kim. I already missed you, but now all I want to do is to press you to the nearest flat surface and have my way with you. If I sport a tent now, it is your fault." He spoke lowly and kissed her, nipping her lips.

He was called back for more photography and Kim stood there, hot and bothered.

"You guys are so in love. How could anyone think you were with Ricky is beyond me."

Kim turned to find Jamie standing on next to her. She blushed again recalling Jack's parting words.

"Oh my god! You talked dirty just now, didn't you? You are, like, tomato red."

"Shut up! No need to inform the world." Jamie looked sheepish for a second.

"So, were you and Ricky always just friends?"

"Why? You interested?"

"No! No! Really! I am ... you know... Just curious...Fine! He is cute... OK, fine, jeez... He is hot. And talented and recently he wasn't a jerk. Happy now?" Jamie was flustered and sort of glared at Kim.

"Well, he was single last time I saw him." Kim said carefully. She wasn't sure if Ricky was ready for anything, but was that her place to even say that?

"Oh, OK. You think he's going to come and visit you guys again?" Jamie was nonchalant and wasn't fooling anyone.

"Tell you what, I can invite him to the set next time he and I are in LA at the same time."

* * *

Kim and Jack were in the car leaving the small dive eatery they had dinner at after to photo shoot. Others from the show joined them and they were a rowdy bunch. There were other patrons, but they seemingly did not care about the young actors. Jack cornered Kim when she went to the bathroom and they had a hot, if short, make out against the wall near the kitchen. Kim's leg was already sliding up and Jack's hand was creeping up her shirt, when a server interrupted them. When Kim showed up at the table - Jack needed more time to make himself presentable - Jamie gave her a knowing look and Kim was grateful to have a friend other than Jack in LA.

They were at the hotel near the studio and Jack practically dragged Kim to the elevator and then down the hall. They barely made it to the room, when he pushed her not so gently back against the wall, keeping one hand behind her and the other on the wall next to her head. He reached lower and cupped a handful of her butt through her dress.

"No underwear?" he purred into her neck.

"Huh? Oh, um," she chewed her lip. "Well, not really an option with this tight of dress...so..."

He kissed her ear and moved his other hand down to grab some more and flex his fingers. She almost squealed and her arms instantly wrapped up around his shoulders and neck.

The sounds she was making, just from him kissing her neck and ear, and squeezing her perfect butt... So hot...

"You were so hot during your session. All the guys were drooling over you. Bastards. But you are mine. I wanted to kiss you right there, so that everyone could see it.." he managed to mumble before she pulled his face down to capture her lips. He pressed closer into her, needing to connect as much of himself with her body as possible.

She arched and he brought a hand up to pinch her nipple through the dress. She hissed a _yes_ and he tugged until he could easily slip his whole hand onto her bare breast. (Apparently no bra either with this dress...)

"I think this is my favorite dress," he whispered above her bare breast. Her nipples hardened so fast under his breath it sent a sinful pain straight through to her core.

She bit her lip, threw back her head with a sharp thud- "ow, damnit,"- and then gasped several times as Jack sucked her taut nipple into his eager mouth.

Again he slipped his fingers around to her ass and then slowly began to bunch the fabric up, scraping his nails through the fabric near her crease, while continuing to lick and kiss and suck her breast.

"Ohmygod, Jack...mmm," she moaned. As his fingertips gathered the last of the dress that had flowed down the back of her legs, she gripped his shoulders hard. "Wai-feels good-here, hallway..." He hummed onto her nipple and she bucked again.

A hand kept her backside exposed and the other began tracing the part, from the small of her back to down past her puckered hole to stroke her pussy and then back up. She shuddered and leaned forward to his chest to bite his temporary tattoo and mewl into it.

While she nibbled and kissed his chest, he glanced to see how far the bed was. Too far... "Can't wait, baby... Bed's too far... Want you now.."

He took his hand from her pussy, (she whimpered such a lustful protest, damn!), dragging it quickly up her crack and gripped her hair tight. He forced her to look up into his eyes and he grinned at her obvious arousal before pressing a hard kiss to her lips.

Kim tried to hold his face but he growled and spun her around, pressing her breasts against the wall.

"Oh my god," she whispered. "Oh yes oh," she moaned. Jack still held her dress up with one hand but it barely slowed him as he undid his belt and fly. Kim strained to see but he kept his torso tight against her and she had to settle for leaning her head back into his shoulder.

"Ah, god," he spoke harshly as he finally sprung free. His erection was throbbing and it brushed up Kim's butt to point at his stomach. "Kim," he kissed her exposed neck, rubbing the underside of his cock into her crack. She started to pant and grind back into him.

He felt close to exploding already. And her desperate mewls and whimpers weren't helping.

He forced himself down to rub across her pussy, using his hip and knee to spread her legs wider. God, she was so wet and was getting wetter as he continued stroking her outer lips and clit with painfully slow movements.

When he saw her start to pinch her own nipple, he couldn't control himself any longer. He fished out the condom from his jeans pocket and rolled it over himself in record time

He had bent his knees, wishing she wore heels and then abandoning this thought because her in heels and naked was too hot to handle, lifted her slightly and thrust up into her slit. "Ahhhhh, ohhhhh, yessss," she keened. He paused half in and relished her sounds and the way her walls gripped him repeatedly. "More, please, god, Jack! Don't stop now!"

"Yes, ma'am," he smirked before pulling out and slamming back in. He was sure his grip on the dress was leaving permanent wrinkles and that made him pound against her, into her, even harder.

"Yes, yes, oh Jack," she was barely heard over their frantic movements. He circled his free arm and hand around to play with her clit and to hold her because she wobbly on her own feet.

God, he missed her... And when she flirted with him at the photo shoot, he was turned on from that point on. "Kim," he grunted repeatedly into the top of her head, her neck, kissing and panting.

"Oh god I'm going to come," she moaned. "Come with me, Jack...please, oh..."

He increased his plunging into her, wet slapping sounds making him bite his lip. He let go of the dress and gripped her hips so hard he was sure there would be marks and that thought made him almost roar and then he was combusting into a million shards.

He grunted as he shot as deep as he could go, feeling his dick bump against her most private and wonderful spot. As the blinding white faded from his mind, he felt her tighten and convulse and heard melodious _Jaaaack_ and a whimper.

"I wanted to do that ever since you took off that shirt off me," he gulped for a deep breath, leaning his head against her somewhat messy hair.

"Yeah," was her only response as she came down from her orgasm.

A/N: These guys... I tell you... OK, on a serious note, we are nearing the end of the story. Couple more chapters probably.


	37. Chapter 37

School was about to start and Kim and Jack were expected to go back. It was no clear whether the show would do well yet. Jack was busy doing promotional appearances and interviews. He and Kim discussed how to answer any personal questions beforehand. Their boyfriend/girlfriend status was an established fact, so he didn't have to deny or avoid confirming it. Jack was always protective of his and others' feelings and despite his easygoing nature, he was very concerned about his privacy. Kim could not blame him. He almost let her go because he was concerned about public exposure and the whole ordeal with Leona made him paranoidly protective of Kim. They did not discuss all of it with Angela's team, but Jack was stubborn and they worked with him, going for 'the less the fans and public know, the more intrigued they'd be' approach.

Kim, on the other hand, found herself back in the studio. The show wanted to rework the score to make it more dramatic and add some orchestral sound. It was an entirely new experience for Kim and she enjoyed it tremendously. Caitlyn was on cloud nine. She was so happy that at least one of her songs would be heard by others. She was a prolific songwriter and had more music readily available. Kim tried to temper the young girl's expectations, but Caitlyn's enthusiasm was infectious.

On a whim, Kim asked Angela if she could tease the song on her social media to potential fans. Angela was all for it, her exact words being, "Clever... In fact, it is a great idea... You should also link the show's social media accounts... You are good at this..." She gave Kim a calculating look.

Kim simply shrugged her shoulders. Her knowledge with the press and public perception came from a hard experience and she felt like if she could do something good, something positive with her renòmē, then so be it. If nothing else, it would help to raise the show's profile and help Caitlyn.

* * *

 ** _Entertainment Weekly: Bridge Crossing Promo Starring Jack Brewer_**

 _In the new show, **Bridge Crossing** , we get to see Caleb Bridge (portrayed by Jack Brewer) go from the rough and rugged delinquent to a disciplined martial artist. While he finds his new focus, he is besieged by conflict between his new and old life. We sat down with Jack to talk about his new show, Caleb and his preparation for the role._

 _Q: Jack, congratulations on the new show! How is it different to be on small screen versus the movie?_

 _A: Thank you. I am very excited about the show. In movie, I was only a small part of the story, but the show is focused on Caleb and his life, so there is a lot more pressure for me to do a great job. Of course, I have the great team around me and other actors are doing their best._

 _Q: Speaking about other actors. Your real life girlfriend, Kim Crawford is in the show as well. How did that happen? And does working together affect your relationship?_

 _A: She got the job because she is great at everything she does. [wide smile]. She came to visit me on the set during auditions and did an impromptu demonstration of her karate skills. The director saw it... And working together is great. We do not have a lot of scenes together, but the show allows us to be in the same place at the same time, so I am grateful._

 _Q: You are very good at this boyfriend thing. Kim, if you are reading this, Jack gets the boyfriend points. On a serious note, you mentioned her martial arts skills. Weren't you and her both trained by her father, Bobby Wasabi?_

 _A: [laughter] It is such a persistent rumor... [shakes his head]. Bobby did not train us. We both joined the Bobby Wasabi Dojo and Rudy Gillespie is our sensei._

 _Q: Is this how you met?_

 _A: [soft smile] No, we met at school. Lunch room actually. I was the new kid and she dropped her apple. I caught it. The rest it history._

 _Q: Aww... Jack, you kick a lot of butt in the show. Is this a very physically demanding role? Did you have to train for it?_

 _A: I constantly practice karate. It is a sport that requires focus and discipline. I did have to learn a bit of boxing and dirty, sort of street style, fighting for when Caleb is just the kid from the streets._

 _Q: Well, whatever you do, it pays off._

* * *

blackbeltkimc at blackbeltkimc: _here is the song that would be used in the show. Hope you like it. It was written by a friend from the dojo. So excited for her and the show!_

 ** _Kickforthewin_** : _checkout the song from Bridge Crossing and the new promo pics!_

jbgirl: _yes! so excited. can't wait for the trailer!_

bbelt: _ohhh, that song is so good. who's singing it?_

* * *

The promotional blitz was over and Jack and Kim were back in Seaford.

It was good to reconnect with their friends again. Because Kim was out the last month of school and then the summer break made everyone's schedule so hectic, Kim felt like she hasn't spent time with her friends.

Milton was contacted by the FBI. They wanted him to consider their agency as a future employer. Apparently, he impressed them with his analytical skills. Milton wasn't sure where his path would lie, but he privately told Kim that he wouldn't consider the FBI because of how they treated her case. She didn't realize that her friends were so affected but that experience as well. She knew, of course, that they cared for her, but that they would experience such disappointment in authority figures over her kidnapping was sobering. Jerry just said that if he ever was in trouble, he wanted nobody but the Wasabi gang helping him out.

Jerry has been with Bryn. Neither would define what they were. The entire relationship was on the surface strange. He was a bit of feather brain, and she was whip smart. She was also a bit darker, while Jerry was lighthearted and quick to smile and laugh. But seeing them together Kim realized that they worked because they complimented each other. Bryn could easily fall into a problem solving or coding and Jerry would be there to distract her. He was also made her smile and laugh and that was good for her. On the other hand, being with someone so smart and logical helped Jerry to straightened out some of his slacker habits.

It was Bryn who helped Kim complement her settings to prevent too much profanity from appearing on her social media. She was in general very helpful with all things internet and Kim marveled at all the possibilities.

They were at the dojo, when Rudy came in running from his office. "Come on, guys. Turn on the TV!" He run to the TV and flipped the channels furiously. Then he sat back. "Watch!"

The commercial ended and then... _Oh, it's not happening.._. The opening cords of Black Moon started and the trailer for the show began. Jack looked...amazing. The trailer was choppy and cut between close ups of Jack's face and body to the action sequences and then bits of dialogue. That's when Kim saw her own face. It showed her saying 'be careful, Cal" and then jumping into the fray of a fight. The trailer ended with the show's logo and Kim finally breathed.

 _Oh my god...it is actually happening._ Her hands clammy and her insides trembling, she turned to her friends. She saw Jack's face that probably mirrored her emotions. She nodded at him.

"So, what do you think?" She asked the room.

"Wow...Jack... That was good... That Caleb guy is kind of cool... He's got swag, yo!" Jerry offered and Kim smiled. Jack looked sheepish and simply nodded. "Thanks, Jerry."

"Rudy, what do you say?"

"Well, the fights were not right. In the first one, Jack, you left you left side exposed and any competent opponent would have taken advantage of that, but you, Kim, were very good." Rudy said to them and Kim giggled at Jacks dismayed expression.

"I don't get to choreograph fights. Plus, Caleb is not a martial artist yet." He muttered.

"What did you think of the show?" Kim clarified.

"Oh... I thought it was great." Rudy smiled happily.

"Can you really do all that, Kim?" Bryn asked.

"Yeah, pretty much. Why?"

"No wonder Leona needed concussion to get to you. And even then you fought her off. Maybe I should try Karate..." Bryn's tone was admiring, but Kim was startled by the mention of her ordeal. She smiled, but did not say anything.

She was rubbing her wrists unconsciously and stopped when she felt a warm large hand over hers. She looked up to see Jack's concerned face and Milton's understanding one.

"Oh, sorry... I am an idiot. Sorry..." Bryn was apologetic, but Kim suddenly could not take it anymore. She got up hastily and with a quick _bye_ she ran outside. Jeremy already fell in step with her and she could sense that Jack was right there, beside her. This, more than anything, brought the memories to the forefront and Kim felt a little light-headed. She stumbled a little and Jack was quick to support her around the waist as Jeremy rushed to get the car.

Once seated in the back of the car, Kim huddled into Jack's chest and concentrated on his steady heartbeat. He was playing with her fingers and she focused her eyes on that, instead of looking inward. They made it to her house in record time and Jack half carried her inside.

She had a few of those episodes after the kidnapping and she was doing better. It was part of her doctors' visits post hospital. She was taught to recognize the panic attacks and apply various little tricks to manage them. Still, being with Jack was probably the best copying technique out there.

Kim knew that every time she had one, Jack would fall into a pit of guilt and hopelessness. It was like a cycle for them. Her episodes, his guilt trap. She hadn't had one since the awards show and she thought they were gone forever. But they weren't...

"What do you need, Kim?" Jack's voice was soft and Kim was already tearing up.

"I don't want to think of that ever. I wish to forget it all. I wish I was stronger than this..."

"Hey, hey...You are strong. Stronger than anyone I know. I love you. You know that. My brave and strong girl. These memories will fade. We'll make new memories. Good memories, the best memories. Just talk to me, don't hide..."

His sweetness was unbearable. How was he her boyfriend? What has she done to deserve him? She lifted her face and kissed him on the underside of his jaw and she could see goosebumps appear. He looked down at her and his eyes were like liquid smoke topaz. They were dark and deep and sparkled at her. Like in trance, Kim raised her face again to kiss his lips.

She could see that Jack was confused for a second about her intentions, but soon realized what was going on. Still, he was hesitant, and Kim twisted up and moved her leg over his lap to sit on him. Her hands went to his hair and tilted his face for another sweet kiss.

"Kim... What..."

"I want this, Jack. I want you. Right now. Help me make new memories..." Kim whispered against his lips and Jack looked at her for a bit and then kissed her back.

It was slow, deep, exploring every crevice in her mouth, sweeping the roof and sucking on her tongue. It was heady. He moved to suck and bite each lip in turn and she could feel them plump at the stimulation. She worked her hands through his hair, tugging on it because he liked it. Her hands moved down to his neck, touch soft and light and the sensation was akin to tickling with electricity. It left his skin awake and buzzing with sensation. She worked down under the collar of the shirt and simultaneously was slowly rocking on him. His kiss turned a little harder and his one hand dropped lower to slide up into the top she was wearing. He was already cupping her breast and Kim's head lolled back at the sensation. He did not waste time to kiss her neck, knowing that the juncture of the neck and shoulder was her sensitive spot. She sighed and rocked harder onto him when Jack kissed that spot leaving a pink mark that would darken tomorrow.

Her nipple that he rolled around his fingers over the cup of the bra was stiff and hard and so pretty that Jack has to taste it. He pulled her top off and said in a low, hypnotic voice, "You have such pretty nipples, like little berries. Small, tight, pink, delicious. I love tasting them." he followed up by dragged the cup down and took as much of her breast in his mouth, sucking on it and finishing with a bite on the nipple itself. Kim whimpered and he could feel the dampness of her panties over the fabric of his shorts. For once, Kim was wearing skirt and he dragged one hand up her thigh and swept a thumb over her mound. She was wet. He shoved the panties to the side and worked his two fingers in, keeping the thumb on her clit and flicking it in time with the thrusting of the fingers.

"So wet already. She sweet and so pretty. When we done here, I want to taste you again. I can never have enough of you..." Jack mumbled into her chest and went back to kissing it.

His mouth was occupied with her breast and Kim was holding onto his shoulders to ride his fingers. She dropped her head to his neck and was kissing parts of him she could reach.

He could feel her orgasm was close and the tell-tale tremors already began, when Kim stopped and lifted herself off his fingers. He looked up at her and was met with dark, nearly black eyes. "I want you inside me, when I come," she said in a low, slightly raspy voice and his cock throbbed inside his pants. She was rarely so open or direct during sex, but it was hot.

He stood up with her in his arms and let her legs drop to the floor, kissing her as he did it. After they parted, Kim roughly shoved his shorts down his thighs before pushing him back by the shoulders until he was in a normal sitting position, his back flat against the couch. Standing up, she took him in - flushed and rumpled - before she yanked his shorts down the rest of the way and allowed his impressive cock to spring free from its restraints. She took off her panties and did not bother with the skirt.

Kim bent down and lightly dragged her finger along the thick vein trailing up the underside. She allowed him—or maybe even herself—one wet, suctioning kiss to the head before snapping a condom on him and climbing back on to the couch and straddling his waist with her slender thighs, grinding tantalizingly slow against him as she bent her head forward and sucked his bottom lip between her teeth.

"Kim, you're killing me," he groaned, curling his fists into the cushions of the sofa on either side of him. At this, she smiled against his mouth and moved to press brief, if not hungry kisses along the sharp bone of his jaw before finally sucking his Adam's apple into her mouth. It bobbed in a long swallow and Kim nipped the skin one last time before leaning up and grasping Jack in her hand, slowly sinking down on him moments later with an unsteady exhale that mixed with his harsh curse.

"Fuck, Kim," Jack's head fell back against the top of the sofa with a soft _thud_ as she shifted her hips ever so slightly. She worked up to an even rhythm, grasping his shoulders tightly as he moved his own hands to rest firmly on her hips, though he quickly lifted one hand away in favor of slipping it between her slick thighs. He massaged his thumb around her aching clit, causing her head to tip back in a throaty moan as she shifted against him and grazed the digit just a little more forcefully against the tight bundle of nerves. Jack didn't waste any time shoving his hand in the silky golden strands on her head and tugging firmly, leaning forward—and simultaneously making Kim gasp again at the slight change of angle—to kiss along her collar bone and leave pink marks on the arch of her neck. He eventually trailed his kisses downwards to her breasts, rolling one bud between his fingers as he released his hold on her hair, and flicking the other one with the tip of his tongue. She arched forward into his mouth, her body beginning to tremble already before she urgently grabbed his wrist between her thighs and pressed insistently upwards. With a high-pitched _Jaaack,_ Kim fell apart, and the clench of her muscles around him sent Jack tipping over into his own pool of bliss moments after.

The two of them panted heavily, Kim slumped over Jack's chest and with his head buried between her neck and shoulder. After a few short beats, she reluctantly climbed off of him, rolling to the left before curling into his side. He wrapped his arm around her back and nuzzled her deeper into his comfortingly warm body.

Kim pressed a soft kiss to the side of his pectoral and drew lazy circles on the rough plains of his abdomen, listening to his heartbeat as her breathing finally turned to normal.

"Good memory?" he said in a slightly slurred way.

"The best..."


	38. Chapter 38

**_Entertainment Weekly_**

 ** _Bridge Crossing Pilot Review_**

 _And another new show offered this season is Bridge Crossing. Aimed at younger crowd the show is surprisingly devoid of the histrionics of the typical teen drama. Although it maybe too early to tell. The protagonist is also not a superpowered or supernatural individual. That is not to say that he does not have the hallmarks of the teen heartthrob: he is tall, dark and brooding, with enough of good looks to be the matinee star. What sets this coming of age show apart is the well rounded back story and a realistic conflict shaping the young hero. Jack Brewer portraying Caleb Bridge exhibits the same gravitas he displayed in his breakout performance. He is supported by a greatly diverse cast of characters. Caleb grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and was well on the way to the life of crime until the chance encounter with a martial artist offers him a new way of living. His trajectory is not easy as the old life plagues him and puts him at odds with new friends and new principles. As much as it is the conflict brought by others and circumstances, a lot of it is Caleb himself adjusting to the new way of thinking and dealing with issues. Good writing and attention paid to details make this show watchable with a couple supporting actors providing the comedic and sarcastic commentary to make them fan favorites._

 ** _Screenrant dot com_**

 ** _Bridge Crossing Series Premier Review_**

 _This new series harkens back to the days of the original teen or young adult drama that is not weighed down by the mythos of preexisting universe that often is a sore point for book and comics adaptations. Well constructed plot sets up Caleb Bridge, who sullenly and stubbornly is looking for a better life for himself, in conflict between the promise of such better life and the old one, that clings to him with enduring friendships, rivalry, family and Caleb's own violent past and nature. He is hot-tempered, stubborn and quick to use his fists, but he is also loyal and lives by a certain honor code, that is sometimes muddled and seems to be centered around people rather than abstract principles. There is enough meat to the plot and character to allow for further development. Jack Brewer handles the pressure of the lead with aplomb that is worthy of a more seasoned actor. He is most natural in fight scenes, his physicality born out of the actor's own background in martial arts. He also has the ability to portray silent broodiness without appearing wooden or constipated. There are few in supporting cast that would be of interest. Caleb's mentor, referred to as Sensei, who is as mysterious as he is badass. Caleb's once friend-turned-enemy Tommy. His other friend, who is torn between friendship with him and her loyalty to her family, Tommy's sister Jo. Caleb's potential love interest, fellow martial arts student Lena. We expect the show to do well if it maintains this level of writing, acting and tightly packed plotlines._

 ** _People Magazine_**

 ** _Bridge Crossing, Mon. 8:00PM_**

 _The new young adult show is centered around a suitably attractive, conflicted and brooding Caleb Bridge. He is a young delinquent in search of life beyond that he was born into. His friends and what's left of his family seem to drag him back, whereas a new acquaintance with a martial artist offers Caleb a way out. Jack Brewer, the young star headlining the show, does an impressive job of infusing Caleb with facets of character well beyond the two-dimensional trope of a bad boy with a redemption arc. If the plot or the acting of the main actor are not enough to ensure the show's success, the show is populated with plenty of eye candy to at least drag in the coveted audience of young viewers._

 ** _Popsugar_**

 ** _The Darkly Beautiful Song in the Bridge Crossing_**

 _The new show that premiered this week has brought us the new and exciting fandom to be part of, but it also introduced us to the the this drop-dead gorgeous song Black Moon that is used in opening credits. Both haunting and bombastic, the song is the first for both the songwriter and the singer. While little is known about the songwriter, Caitlyn Mikulski, we learned that the singer is none other than Kim Crawford, who also stars in the show as Jo, one of the recurring characters from Caleb's past. Here is the audio of the song._

* * *

Critic's approval of the show in general and Jack in particular was well-deserved as far as Kim was concerned. She really wanted it to do well. Jack deserved it. Few knew the kind of stress and pressure she and Jack underwent because of early scrutiny, rumors about Ricky, and especially the ordeal with Leona. But Kim knew and she knew how hard Jack worked when filming those six episodes. That he did it while they both went through the aftermath of the traumatic experience was remarkable. They only had to wait a little more to see if the show did well in ratings.

Since the show premiered, both her and Jack became the point of interest wherever they went. It was like that time the rumors about Ricky and love triangle started. Kim felt like a pro at this though. She'd give it couple of weeks to die down and life would get back to normal with only added pictures taken by strangers. Jeremy was a great help. Most of people steered clear of him and if that was not enough, Jack usually distracted anyone approaching them. He was friendly and took pictures, but always tried to block the fans and gawkers from staring at Kim or trying to talk to her. It was sweet, in that super protective, I want to keep her away from all life's troubles, way that Kim tolerated because of what they went through, but sometimes chafed under. Because of his behavior and because of some past stories written by Eric after the fundraiser, Jack was getting the reputation of a jealous and protective boyfriend. It seemed that people were already commingling Jack and Caleb and attributing to Jack some traits of the TV character. And if some stories published had more of a questioning tone, the denizens of Internet were split into uneven groups: those, who thought it was an early sign of a controlling man; and those in majority, who thought it indicated the depth of his feelings. Kim was asked a lot about Jack now that he was in the public eye, but she avoided direct answers as she's done before.

All of it, the popularity of the song, speculations on the internet about their relationship, and amazing fans of Jack, made a show a ratings success. By the time the fourth episode aired, the network decided to pick the show for the full season. It was like a belated birthday gift for Jack. They missed it, because it happened in the middle of the kidnapping.

They celebrated the news by going to LA and spending time together uninterrupted and unhurried. Jack had to negotiate his contact, now that he was in for a full season and he and the network had to make arrangements for his education. He, Kim and Jamie were the only ones to require tutors and in case of Kim, she could just make arrangements with her school.

They were enjoying quiet dinner at a small pizza place recommended by one of Ricky's band mates and the Kim was determined to make Jack's mood lighter. He was a little bummed out because he would have to stay here for filming and Kim would go back. The show producers stayed true to their plan and there were few scenes for Kim to film and those could be done in a short amount of time.

Kim was saddened too, but she didn't want to waste time now on those feelings. They had one more night left and she wanted it to be a happy memory. Jeremy sat out the dinner in the car. He got he idea pretty quickly and while he never commented, Kim suspected he was used to the their frequent need to be alone.

She slowly slid her hand across the table and threaded her fingers through Jack's. Hi squeezed her hand once and released it. Kim slid her hand higher to his wrist was was stroking it gently and drawing circles in it. Jack looked at her quizzically, but went back to his slice. Smiling to herself, and secretly gathering her courage, she slowly raised her bare foot and slid it up his shin and dipped a little into the leg of the shorts. Jack fairly jumped and his eyes shot at her startled. Kim, feeling both bold and ridiculous, wrapped her lips around the straw in the glass and made a show of sliding her mouth down it and sucking the soda in. All this time her foot traveled higher and higher and she could feel the small tremors that went through Jack as his body reacted to her.

When she finished her obscene sip of soda and released the straw with a small smacking of lips - he followed the show with rapidly darkening eyes - Jack dropped his pizza on the plate, fished out the wallet, threw the money on the table, and got up pulling Kim along. She barely had time to put her high heeled pumps (it was for Jack, he had a thing for heels) on and had to walk briskly to keep up with Jack's longer stride.

The sat in the case silent and Jack's expression was tense and forbidding. It would have looked like he was mad, except his hand was slowly wandering up her thigh until it reached the hem of her underwear, where he proceeded to teasingly swipe at her center.

They were borderline impolite to Jeremy, who had the long-suffering look on his face and simply waived them off.

Jack's hands were everywhere as soon as the elevator doors shut behind them. She tripped in her shoes as she turned to him, but he caught her easily. They must have arrived to their floor, because Jack was kissing her and walking her backwards across the hallway. A thought crossed her mind that this was the shot every paparazzi dreamed of.

When she tripped again and he almost fell on top of her she pulled her mouth from his and slid her heels off. "You're brilliant." he murmured against her lips as he was somehow kissing her once more.

He tried to pick her up in front of him but her dress wouldn't let her legs go around his waist. Jack groaned and for a second she thought he might actually tear the skirt. The thought made her knees weak. She wrapped her arms around his neck her mouth moving across his jaw and to his ear. When she sucked the lobe into her mouth he swung her into his arms and increased his speed to get them back to the room as quickly as possible.

Kim used her time well. Jack's button down shirt had the top two buttons opened, making his neck available for her to do with as she pleased. When she used her teeth again there was a noise that came from the back of his throat that made heat flow through her.

She sucked, and laved everywhere she could reach. When they reached the door Jack released her legs but still managed to hold her upright against him, her feet dangling above his as he fished out the key.

Her mouth found his as he fumbled with the lock, tasting the pizza they'd eaten earlier. She groaned at the delay until the door gave suddenly and they fell into the foyer. She heard him kick it shut behind them and throw the keys in the direction of the entryway table.

He had both arms around her now, fingers already going for her zipper as she worked more buttons lose. Something was knocked off the table and fell with a loud noise as he stumbled sideways, but it didn't deter him in the slightest.

Her shoes fell from her hands and she shoved his over shirt off his shoulders. He released one arm at a time to shrug out of it. It too ended up on the ground. She slid down him until her feet were flat and pushed into him, his back hitting the wall behind him with a thud. The zipper on her dress was down and she could feel cool air and then Jack's sure hands on her skin. He found the shoulder of the gown and tugged it until it fell down her arm. Without breaking contact she slid out of it and let the dress pool at her feet, stepping out and kicking it behind her.

Jack looked down at her, his eyes nearly black as he took her in. She had strapless black bra on and matching cheeky panties. She made a show of twirling for him, but before she could blink she found herself pressed against the wall, Jack behind her. Hot waves of pleasure flowed through her as his hands skimmed across her back and down her sides.

His breath was warm over the back of her neck. "So, so beautiful..." he said raggedly. Swirling desire grew heavy within her and all she could do was moan as he began to kiss her shoulders and back.

Tingles of electricity made her shudder every time he touched her. Her hands were limp on the wall next to her head where her cheek rested. He took his time, fingers and tongue and lips trailing over every bit of exposed skin. When he reached the closure for her bra it was undone with a deft flick. She glanced down to see it laying across her feet and her heart flipped at the sight.

He continued his descent until he was kneeling behind her. His mouth worked across the hem of her panties, but he left them alone. She shivered in anticipation as she waited to feel where he'd touch her next. A noise between a mewl and a moan escaped her lips when she felt his tongue on her thigh. He licked a long line up until he found the curve where her butt met her leg.

Strong hands grasped the backs of her thighs, slid up and finally dragged her panties down. He kneaded the flesh and pulled her legs slightly apart. With a groan she collapsed forward, grateful for the support of the wall.

His thumbs circled slowly, moving inwards until they met her folds. She wasn't breathing. Her nails dug into the wall as she tried to find purchase, quivering at what he was doing to her.

When he slid his thumbs in and pulled her gently apart she keened, while gasping his name. Her back arched, pushing into him involuntarily. The feel of his warm breath across her center turned her knees into jelly.

His tongue made one long slow lick up her slit, and then another. She didn't know what his plans had been, but when her knees totally gave out he caught her about the waist before she could completely fall to the floor.

He stood her up, his hands coming up to cover her breasts as she leaned back against him.

Her skin tingled as he sucked a trail across her shoulders to her neck. He nosed the edge of the necklace out of the way and scraped his teeth over the top edge of her collarbone making her moan. She could feel him behind her, his clothes brushing over her mostly bare skin.

Finding her feet she spun and her breath caught as she took him in. His eyes looked black in the low light and he had the now familiar look of intense focus. Not wanting to waste any time she pulled at the hem of his T-shirt and dragged it off him.

He took over and threw it to land in the ever growing pile of clothes. His shoes followed. When he went to remove his belt her hands flew to cover his and accidentally brushed against his bulge and he cursed. She made a startled 'oh'.

"Oh, fuck, Kim," he ground out as his hands fell to her waist and lifted her up slightly, pushing her into the wall again.

She tried to work his belt, but his mouth had found her right breast and her ability to do anything other than shut her eyes and moan left her.

He sucked on her nipple as he stroked the flesh of her breast. Every pull went straight to her center. Gasps fell from her lips at an almost constant interval. When he left one breast and went to travel to the other she came to her senses somewhat and rid him of his shorts as quickly as possible.

He held her up on the wall with just one arm as he lost his boxer briefs and socks until he was gloriously naked in front of her.

Their eyes met and held for long moment. He never blinked as she wrapped a condom and he settled his hands on her waist and positioned her. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she moaned at the contact. The intensity in the look they shared left her breathless. She felt his cock at her entrance hard and hot and she fought her eyes falling shut, wanting to see him.

His normally brown eyes were black, and time seemed to stand still. She saw the moment he couldn't wait any longer. With a clenched jaw he pushed up slowly. Her mouth fell open, soundlessly until they were fully joined and she gasped air greedily.

He was everywhere. Everything was Jack. In her, around her. His smell, his words, his hands, his love.

When he moved her head fell forward, finally breaking their gaze as her forehead rested against his. Hands moved across her back, over her butt, coasting over her thighs as his hips pushed forward.

The heavy coil in her belly grew as pleasure coursed through her. He took a step backwards, hands firmly on her hips as he let her fall back some, her shoulders balanced against the wall.

The angle was perfect. Her mind went numb as he thrust into her. The feel of him hitting the exact right spot was all she could focus on. She couldn't stay quiet if she tried. Mewls and pleas left her throat as he continued to press into her. Low grunts came from him and her eyes flew open to see him looking at her, so intimate, so deep it made her draw herself up, hands scrabbling around his neck to pull towards him.

Her mouth found his, tongues mimicking. The coil grew larger and larger until she knew it was inevitable.

She exhaled his name as she came, her head falling to his shoulder as she clenched around him. His hands dug into her hips at the sensation and by the erratic rhythm of his hips she knew he wouldn't be far behind.

With a raspy 'hold on' she found herself pressed firmly into the wall and then he was thrusting so quickly and with such force all she could do was hold on and ride the waves of pleasure it brought her.

Finally, Jack gave a savage grunt and collapsed against her. She stroked hands across his sweaty face and back, finding the small mole that was there.

His lips were on her neck, kissing lightly until he made his way to her mouth. They shared a slow, languid kiss. When he pulled his head back she gave him a smile which he returned fully, no sadness marring it.

A/N: I have one more event planned for the couple (a chapter or two) and then it would be good bye to these Jack and Kim.


	39. Chapter 39

Ohh… What was that noise?

Kim heard it again. Riiiiiing!

She blindly reached over to the phone, automatically knowing where it was.

"If this is a sales call on a Sunday morning, I swear-"

"Calm down, Kim. It's me, Ricky. I tried calling you last night, but it went to voicemail. Listen, something's come up. You need to get down to my studio, pronto." As Ricky was speaking, Kim pulled off the blanket she had thrown on her head, squinting at the bright light suddenly assaulting her pupils, making her eyes hurt a little.

"Oh. You are kidding, right?"

"I know, I wish life changing opportunities would be a little more respectful of our weekends too. But whadaya gonna do." Ricky was too sarcastic this early in the morning.

Kim was still trying to get her mind to wake up at… she looked at the clock. 7:00 am on a Sunday morning. And what was that other noise? It sounded like the shower. Right. She was in LA, in a hotel, after one if the better nights in her young life. And Jack was in the shower... Naked and steamy... She shook her head.

"Can it wait?" She mumbled, while looking for something to wear.

"Kim, its important. I know you're still in LA. Wake up and get here. You have 30 minutes. Get to it."

Grumbling, Kim searched for casual clothes to throw on. She went to the bathroom just in time to see Jack get out of the shower. He was wearing a towel around his waist and looked delicious, but she had places to be and no time to get distracted. She started brushing her teeth and combing her hair at the same time and Jack looked at her puzzled.

"In a hurry to leave already? I must try harder next time to make you wanna stay."

Kim finished the brushing and turned to him, "don't worry, you were spectacular. Ricky called. Said there is some sort of emergency at the recording studio and I need to be there in ... 20 minutes now. Wanna come with me?"

Jack nodded and went to get dressed, while Kim called Jeremy. She had to wonder if he ever slept, because he was ready to go whenever she was.

They made it for the studio only ten minutes late and were met by an excited Ricky and Steven. Neither Jack nor Kim warmed up to him, but there was no denying that he was a zealous manager. Ricky took her hand and dragged to the office, where she was faced with a group of men and women.

"Here she is. Kim Crawford. Badass Karate master, talented actress, and a great singer. She is also my friend." He announced dramatically and turned and winked at her.

Kim blushed at that and just laughed off his introduction. "Yep, that's me. Nice to meet y'all."

"Kim, these are my team. Producers, and such. They heard your song and wanted to know who it was. So, here we are." Ricky was giddy.

* * *

In the end, Ricky was right. It was one of those life changing experiences. Kim had a genuine offer for a record deal! With Ricky's label! She had to get her own manager and review the contract, of course, but ... She had a record deal!

Giddy herself now, she called her parents and had her dad start looking into the best lawyers and managers. She, Jack and Ricky celebrated and she was on cloud nine. She had a record deal!

Kim's life changed again. She moved to LA permanently. Bobby, acting as a surrogate dad and in agreement with her parents, moved to LA and she lived with him now. It worked out to the best. Jack was filming the show and occasionally Kim had to do so too. They did not have to be apart anymore.

All other time she was not busy with the show, was taken with recording new music. The label worked out the deal with the network and Black Moon was going to be on her first album. To capitalize on the popularity of the show and the song, Kim filmed a video for it and it was released in advance of the album. Kim was able to convince her team to use dancers in the video and got Jerry to be one of them. Both her and Jack missed the Wasabi gang and this way, they got to spend time with them. Jerry ended up being one of the extras routinely hired for the show. He had good basics of the karate and could be use din multiple scenes. Milton, of course, was meant for a more brainy pursuits, but he loved learning anything new and was a surprising source of information on any number of things. The show even credited him as the consultant for some episodes.

Caitlyn was Kim's first choice for songs material. Some of her songs, not all, were what the producers felt would be a good sound for Kim - not too pop, with a harder edge, but still melodious and somewhat darker. She had even one duet with Ricky that was more romantic, but had been one of her favorites. It was Caitlyn's song and Kim arranged for her to meet her idol. The poor girl was stunned and barely coherent from excitement. Ricky was surprisingly gentle with her. He talked about Caitlyn's music, her inspiration, her life before. Caitlyn was now one of Kim's biggest fans.

Kim also came through on her promise and made sure that Jamie and Ricky spent some time together. She wasn't sure anything would come of it, but the two of them had some energy between them, even if they stayed friends for now. Kim actually told Jamie, who was a little disappointed, that she and Jack were friends first, for a long-long time, before they took a chance. Even then, it was some extraordinary circumstances that made them make a move. Jamie laughed and said that they should make a show about the two of them.

 _Bridge Crossing_ was quite popular. There was enough action to lure the guys and enough drama and romance to make it more than just a knuckle buster action show. There were even fans of various pairings on the show. Understandably, Lena and Caleb were a popular pairing, but there were quite a few fans of Jo and Caleb and even Tommy and Caleb. "Callen" and "Jocal" had their own tumbler handles and fans were creative with their arguments for and against each ship.

Since Jack and Kim were a couple in real life, and because Jocal was popular, they were asked for joint interviews and photo shoots. The network still resisted it, because they didn't want relationships, real and screen ones, to overshadow the show. It did not stop the fans though. Somehow, the video of the first photo shoot for the show, when Jack was mad and Kim had helped him with a shirt, made it online and the Kick shippers, as well as Jocal shippers, were raking up the views.

* * *

Her album - Black Moon Rising - was ready and Kim was jittery over its release. Jack tried to calm her down by distracting her with a surprise trip to New York. If they spent most of the time in bed, it was mostly because Jack was hotter than the sun and very romantic. There were far fewer pictures of them taken in New York and Kim was half-jokingly telling Jack they shoudl move to the East Coast to avoid the media.

She should not have worried about the album. The label was even better at marketing than Angela. Between their campaign, her social media, the fans of Kick and Jocal, and Ricky's unwavering support and plugging of her music, her album did well. It wasn't a stupendous success, but it was a solid effort.

Kim had made a few appearances on TV and interviews to promote her album. There was abuzz about her already. She was known even before the show and now, with the album on her hands, she was interviewed a lot. Her black belt and love of animals was something people commented often on, because she had for almost a year dedicated her social media to martial arts and other athletic and volunteering activities. One interviewer wanted to capture that and she had donned her gi and cheerleading uniform for the photos. Those ended up being very popular and the article was a little gushing, starting that "this young singer packs a punch, not only in singing, but literally, in real life. Kim Crawford will kick butt and take names, but will do it gracefully. Her music has plenty of that attitude and yet it has the depth to it, offering both badass anthems and delicate love ballads."

Then came the best possible news, Kim was offered to tour as an opening act to Ricky. The label thought it was the best to capitalize on their fame, friendship and history. It would be late spring and summer, leaving her plenty of time to film for the show. Her role grew because people liked Jo, and especially Jo and Caleb together.

Kim got the news at the house she shared with Bobby. The last several weeks were hectic and she has seen Jack in between rushing into and fro. Today was a slow day for her and she relished the quiet. She went around looking for anyone, but Bobby was out and Jeremy was at the security room. She texted Jack to let him know that she had a free days and was waiting for him at home.

By the time Jack came back, she made a simple dinner and was waiting at the table.

"What's all this? Kim, we could have gone out. I haven't spent much time with you lately..."

"And we would have been around people, who would have recognized you or me and then there would be paparazzi... Trust me, this is better. I missed you."

"I missed you too."

They kissed, but Kim kept it short and they went to have their dinner and chatted about this and that. Jack seemed to be nervous or anxious and Kim waited until dinner to ask him about it.

"Is there something going on, Jack? You seemed preoccupied..."

"No, nothing is going on. Just...I have something for you..." Jack said and went into the pocket of his pants. It was a jewelry box. Not small enough to be a ring, but still rectangular in shape. Kim looked at him surprised.

"What's this? What is this for?"

"Kim, it has been a year since your run in with Ricky that made me get my head out of my ass and ask you out. It's an anniversary gift." Jack seemed sheepish and was uncharacteristically blushing.

Kim was stunned... And touched... And a little teary... He remembered... She almost forgot it herself, they were so busy. She smiled at him through her tears.

"Can I see it?" She said and Jack rushed to open the box, stammering the apology.

It was beautiful. There, in the box, was a small charm bracelet. It looked silver and had at least three charms on it already.

"It's platinum. And the charms are..." Jack moved his fingers over small charms, pulling the first one for inspection, "the hieroglyph for love. Bobby knows an artist, who does those. These ones are K for you, and J for me. You gave me once a bracelet with J and K. You thought that amnesia wiped that memory, but I remember. I still have it. So, this one is from me to you. J plus K." Jack finished in a rush and his cheeks were red by the end of it.

Kim was crying by now, unable to speak for the emotion robbing her of speech.

"Oh, shit, Kim. Why are you crying? You don't like it? I can get you something else.. I knew I was bad at this..."

"Nnnno, I love it. I love you. I am crying because you are the sweetest." Kim rushed through her clogged up throat and leaned to kiss Jack, tears making the kiss salty. "You are very good at this."

They kissed like this for a while, until Kim's tears dried and the sweet moment turned heated. The familiar passion rose between them and Jack stood up and took her hand. They walked, stumbled really, while kissing on the way to her bedroom. One there, Kim pushed him onto then bed and slowly took off her dress, leaving her in her underwear and heels.

He watched as she shimmied off her panties and then unhooked her bra, letting it slide off her arms to the floor, but keeping her heels on. Jack was transfixed now now. She knew about his thing for heels, but it was more 'Kim in heels' thing, really. She was short. He knew that intellectually, but somehow her legs went on for days: long, smooth, graceful. When she put heels on they were impossibly longer yet and his mind had always jumped to the 'legs around his waist' fantasy. He was about to start begging. He was on the edge of control. And he knew Kim knew it.

She was grinning, completely naked and grinning at him as she pulled her hair free from its ponytail. He took a step toward her and she bit her lip. He took another step and she took a step back.

He leaped after her, catching her before she could make another step. She squealed but didn't fight him off; instead she jumped up and wrapped her long-long legs around his waist, just as he imagined it.

He sighed happily as he walked back to bed, his hands caressing her firm butt. His erection was already throbbing and he could feel that she was wet already. The time not spent together in recent weeks must have made her just as horny as him. "Been too long, Kim. Want you so much..." Jack whispered into her ear and rasping his stubbly jaw over her neck, kissing along the way and ending at the breast.

"Yes, yes, too long... just want you in... now..." Kim replied in a soft voice, still not used to being too vocal or direct.

He made a quick work of his clothes and then spread her, running his fingers over her wet, smooth pussy and coating himself before pressing in. She exhaled and pushed back. She released a long, satisfied mewl as he slid home and when he had nothing more to push in, he added his own grunt.

Their movements were slow, the earlier moment of heat and chase past, and they simply moved in happy, well practiced moves.

Everything about Kim was perfect, was remarkable, and somehow, she was his. And he hers.

She started to moan his name and canted her hips to get him to hit right there. He clenched his teeth as she squeezed around him and he slipped a hand between them to rub her clit. He hardly touched her and she jerked, swearing softly.

He pinched and then soothed the tender nub as her moves grew erratic and her breathing got louder.

He smiled, proudly, because she only got loud when she was about to have an orgasm. He rubbed her harder as he pounded a little stronger and she shrieked his name as she came fiercely.

A few of Kim's curse words and moans later, he removed his fingers and concentrated on his own release. He lifted on his elbow a little and stared down and watched as his length pulled out and then shoved back in.

He loved this position, seeing them like this and feeling himself hit inside her, sweet and rough, smooth and hard...his fingers gripped her shoulder just enough to hold her steady as his last thrust slammed her strong.

He clenched and mumbled her name as he released hot and deep. She was sighing; swaying slightly to milk him and finish her own come down. She looked at him and smiled her sweet content smile and he leaned over to kiss along the side of her face.

"Happy anniversary, baby."

She lifted her arm with a bracelet on it and sighed, "Happy anniversary, love. Would you have thought last year that we would be here?"

"No, not in a million years."

A/N: So, if people are interested, for the new Kick story, would you guys like Jack to be like Caleb (so very AU), or would you want another variation of how Jack and Kim get together from being friends (slight AU)?


End file.
